Crime and Commitment
by serpentguy
Summary: Taylor had always had doubts about what she was doing, even after she had changed her mind on being a superhero. What might have happened if she had focused on all the good she could do if she approached law and order from the other direction? What might have happened if she had given being a supervillain her full commitment?
1. Mutation 01

**Mutation 1.01**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Worm.**

* * *

 **This story starts at the end of Arc 6.09, after Coil makes his offer to the Undersiders and Lisa picks Taylor up from her house. Note that the major divergence in this setting from canon is that Coil never managed to recruit the Travelers, and so none of the Travelers came to Brockton Bay.**

* * *

The argument with my dad still rung in my ears. I replayed every line over and over in my head, but I just felt hollow, physically and emotionally, from the long night that I had. Everything from attacking the party, meeting with Coil and his proposal, and the confrontation at my house had left me absolutely shattered.

I left Lisa behind a while ago, instead opting to walk aimlessly around the docks for a bit. Lisa wanted to help, but I couldn't stand to go back to the hideout and face everyone. I needed sometime to myself, to sort things out.

 _I'm a supervillain_ , I thought softly. I'd been a supervillain before, sure, but then I'd always classified myself as superhero undercover as a supervillain. That lie was over now. No excuse now. I made the choice to burn the letter. _I'm a supervillain now_.

The strange thing was that the idea wasn't so outrageous anymore. I had seen both sides of capes; and it wasn't so sure about which one I belonged on. Being a villain wasn't _good_ but it wasn't necessarily evil either. The ABB had nearly torn the city apart, and sooner or later there'd be another gang and the cycle would continue.

The more I thought about, the more attractive Coil's plan seemed. If there was only one established group in charge of the crime, you could control it. You could stop the collateral and all the maniacs. Maybe a villain, a restrained and pragmatic villain, could do more to help Brockton Bay than the heroes ever could.

And Coil was relying on us. The mercenaries and the money could only go so far. He needed the Undersiders to take control. Perhaps Coil could recruit other supervillains given time, but who else would care as much people who had a stake in the city?

If there was going to be a criminal warlord conquering Brockton Bay, I wanted it to be me.

I was walking down towards the far end of the docks, towards the Boat Graveyard. Brockton's Bay shipping industry had dried up years ago, leaving nothing but a tattered skeleton and a decaying infrastructure. Leaving men like my dad and a dwindling Dockworker's Association. There was so much potential in Brockton Bay that was rotting away because there was no one in a position of power who was _invested_ enough to turn things around.

My hands clenched, feeling the determination boil inside me. I hadn't even realised I made the decision until I felt my pace quicken.

No more half measures. _I'm a supervillain now_ , I thought slowly, and I'm going to own that.

The surrounding bugs responded to my mood almost instinctively. I walked straight towards one of the deserted warehouses, easily kicking open the door. The lock had been broken years ago. The Merchants routinely used the empty warehouses, or they were often filled with homeless. The one I chose was empty, but I could still sense some vagrants lying in a nearby alley.

I needed bugs. That was my power. Other capes could fly into a fight at a moment's notice, but I needed more preparation and planning. Insects were my weapons, and it was time to stockpile my arsenal.

Within minutes, I was gathering every insect in a three block radius, sorting through the swarm of black shapes that trickled towards the warehouse. I didn't want to obsess over my dad anymore, so instead I focused my attention on something I could do.

There were ants, spiders, flies, moths, bees, wasps, mosquitoes, centipedes, worms, and dozens more. I even gathered the ones I didn't normally use, like the snails and slugs, just because I could. Within minutes, the whole warehouse filled to the brim with a buzzing black cloud so dense I couldn't even see through it, and a rippling carpet of bugs skittering and sliding over each other.

The homeless men outside quickly shifted away when they saw the stream of bugs gathering. The swarm looked like something out of an apocalypse. I grinned as the possibilities hit me.

What I really needed was a place where I could store and breed my bugs, so I had a swarm in reserve for the times I really needed it. Constantly relying on whatever insects were in the vicinity around just wasn't good enough. Not anymore.

And I could breed them, I realised suddenly. Why not mass-produce all the useful bugs I need? I had done something similar with black widow spiders, but suddenly I was thinking on a much, much bigger scale.

At once, I got to work. I closed my eyes and suddenly dived into the surrounding swarm. I ordered the spiders to climb the walls and ceilings and start to weave, while the ants organised into armies, setting up hives all over the floor and digging into the ground. The bees and wasps started to build honeycombs of honey and pulp, while the other bugs formed a supply chain, feeding the insects as they worked.

No matter how many individual tasks I focused on, I never reached my limit. I could micromanage every single bug in a swarm of a hundred thousand. I dived in deeper than I ever had, escaping all my problems until I was a consciousness made out of a huge swarm.

 _This is going to be my lair_ , I decided suddenly. I felt like a kid making a treehouse. It was pure escapism, but I didn't care. I could imagine the warehouse reinforced with silk armour and honeycomb walls. The ants and worms could build a labyrinth of tunnels. This warehouse could become one huge terrarium. A fortress of bugs.

 _I need breeding chambers_. I could factory farm insects. Why not produce silk by the wagonload? I felt a rush as the possibilities hit me. Sure, I might never be able to punch through a wall, but there was no other cape that could do this either. My powers worked on a different scale, and I wanted to see how far that could go.

Let's see how fast a million dedicated bugs could work, then.

I was too entranced by a thousand tasks to even notice the time ticking by. Within hours, I had an infrastructure. I had an _administration_ of a million bugs that just kept on getting larger.

I'm going to need food. Lots of food, otherwise the swarm will collapse in on itself. The supply chain of self-sacrificing insects couldn't support this many for very long. Still, a truckload of raw proteins and starch would do it – no need for anything fancy. I could talk to Coil about arranging deliveries, he had resources.

I'll also need electric heaters, for when it gets cold. I'll have to maintain a little microclimate in here, particularly as the breeding starts. Reinforce and insulate the walls with silk and honeycomb to keep the heat in.

The possibilities were endless. Right now, one of my biggest weaknesses were just how squishy my bugs were. Both Armsmaster and Lung had proven how easy it was to destroy a swarm of bugs. I could change that; I could selectively breed insects and mass produce the strongest, biggest, toughest insects. Maybe normally it would take generations, yet if I boosted their reproductive cycles and controlled the breeding pools…

I wondered briefly how big I could actually make the spiders. _Why not?_ I mused. _Humans had been selectively breeding everything from dogs, horses and livestock for centuries, and with my powers I could do it more efficiently than anyone_ …

Inspiration struck. But why stop there? There were more dangerous insects in the world. Brockton Bay had a zoo, and that zoo had an insect exhibition, which I really wanted to go visit there. There were some seriously big insects available. I could imagine goliath birdeater tarantulas, tarantula hawk wasps, horse crabs, bullet ants, Asian giant hornets…

Oh, and _scorpions_. That thought made me chuckle. The things that I could do with scorpions…

I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face. Suddenly, I wanted an internet connection so I could google 'world's largest arachnids'.

There were bug enthusiasts and exotic bug farms out there. Large quantities of rare insects could be delivered. It might take some time, but I really wanted to push myself. Let's see what my powers can do.

 _After all, I'm a supervillain_ , I thought with just a hint of pride. From now on, there was no holding back.

It was noon by the time I finally left the warehouse. I took out my phone and dialled a number quickly. It was answered on the first ring.

"Yes?" Coil answered calmly.

"Coil, this is Skitter," I replied bluntly. There was no greeting required. "I can't speak for the others, but I've reconsidered what I want from you."

"Please tell."

"The dock industry gets a second boon. You repair the ferry, you get the docks renovated. You clear out the Boat Graveyard. Give the city a future again. Not in five years, not in a decade, now."

There was a brief pause. "…That's an expensive demand," Coil said slowly.

"I'll be worth it, I promise," I said firmly, my voice hard. "I think that the city needs _order_ before it can get better and you might the best man for the job, so I'm in."

"I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Thank you." I paused. "But right now… I've got a shopping list that I want to talk to you about…"

xxxxxxxxxxx

It was a long week, but mostly quiet. The offer of working with Coil was on everyone's minds. Bitch said no at first, but then I went to her, helped with her dogs, and slowly she came around. Bitch was hardly a friendly person, but she didn't seem quite so angry at me after I helped her deal with a couple of Empire Eighty-Eight thugs that came around. Or maybe she just started to appreciate that Coil could help keep her dogs much safer.

A week after we crashed the fundraiser, we had our first job. It was an easy mission; more to remind the city that we were still operating more than anything. We all knew that the capes would be gunning for us hard after the stunt we pulled at the party, so we kept it quiet - a raid on an Empire Eighty-Eight stash house.

Everything went like clockwork. Bitch's dog stormed through the building, while my bugs were quick to cut down any thug still standing. Tattletale and Regent cleared out the money, and Grue ran interference. As we were leaving, we glimpsed Hookwolf trying to chase after us, but a blanket of darkness and we were gone before he could even get close. There were no big fights, no high-stakes; just a few bug-bitten thugs, a duffel bag of cash, and a lot of very pissed-off racists.

"Nice haul," Grue commented, looking at the money. "Quick and easy."

"Well, things are going to get bigger," Tattletale commented. "Coil wants us to start entering the big leagues now. The Empire Eighty-Eight is struggling, and we've got to take them out. We've got to be the big hitters in Coil's grand scheme."

"Good luck with that," I muttered. The Empire Eighty-Eight was still the biggest organisation of neo-Nazis in America. They had the largest number of capes in the city. The Empire had been operating for decades, and had never been defeated. Held back, stunted, yes – but never defeated.

Lisa took off her mask and glanced at me, as if reading my mind. "About that…" she muttered sheepishly. "Coil has been talking to me about recruiting more. Right now, we're still the biggest team he has. He's got lots of mercenaries and some independent capes, but he wants a larger, united team to help take the city. He's been pushing me a bit to think about recruiting more."

Bitch scowled, stomping into the room. "I don't want anyone else joining."

I rubbed my chin. "I don't know," I mused. We were massively outmatched at the moment, even considering Coil's mercenaries. "…It couldn't hurt to bring in some more manpower."

Regent made a face. "It means splitting the money more ways."

"But it also means we could take on bigger jobs," Grue conceded. "How many extra Undersiders is he thinking about?"

"At least two, I think."

We dropped onto the chairs to talk about it, chatting amicably. Alec and Rachel were both against, Lisa was for, while Brian and I were debating it. Eventually, we decided to have a vote on it later, and settled down as Regent ordered pizza.

"Hey Taylor," Brian said suddenly, glancing at me curiously. "Today, with your swarm… was it just me or did those insects seem… well… bigger?"

I grinned. After a week of intensive breeding, the biggest spiders I had were now about three times as large as normal spiders. Not monstrously large, admittedly, but definitely noticeable. _Three times as large and still getting bigger_ , I added mentally.

"Yep, I'm getting there. I've been breeding certain bugs for size," I explained. It turned out you could breed insects a hell of a lot faster once you manually adjusted their breeding cycles a bit. "I've got a system set up in my lair, and I've been taking the swarm through the sewers whenever we need a mission. Easier that way."

I decided not to mention the scorpions or the exotic bugs I had been integrating into my swarm. I'd leave that one as a surprise.

"Huh," Brian commented. "But what about when you're not at your lair… doesn't the swarm, umm, go wild?"

I shook my head. "If I give all the bugs _very_ precise tasks to do, then they keep on doing them until I tell them not to." I had set up the breeding pools so they were just about autonomous now. It was all pheromones and simple instructions, really. Insects were very simple creatures, and they worked just as cogs in a machine. "Like when I was unconscious and the bugs just repeated the last order I gave them constantly. I've it got it kind of like that."

Lisa looked at me curiously but didn't say anything. "How many are you breeding?" Alec asked curiously.

"A few," I admitted. Multi-tasking Thinker abilities were a god-send. I could breed different strains of insects for every trait from size to venom potency. Even while my prestige lines were producing more bugs, I still had plenty of offshoots for my day-to-day swarm. "I started off with a dozen breeding pools. Now I'm managing… um… one thousand, two hundred and fifty-four different strains."

Alec blinked. "Damn, dork," Alec whistled. "You _really_ need to get laid."

I rolling my eyes and punched him on the shoulder roughly, forcefully keeping myself from blushing as I noticed Lisa's not-quite-so subtle nudges towards Brian. Thankfully, everyone else ignored the comment.

"You know, I've got to see this lair of yours sometime," Brian mused. "But don't you get lots of problems with the gangs out in that edge of the city like that?"

I thought about the abandoned warehouse. The warehouse that was literally filled to the brim with mutant versions of nearly every known creepy-crawly ever, with walls reinforced with spider-silk and patrolled autonomously by unnaturally territorial swarms of giants wasps.

"No," I said meekly. "Nobody really bothers me that much."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, I woke with my morning routine. Inspect the breeding pools, manually readjust where needed, and reset the cycle. In the same way that people had bred wolves to become everything from Chihuahuas to Great Danes, I was doing the same thing with insects. Only I could do it a lot faster.

The system I had spent the week working on was more or less autonomous now, to be honest. I had effectively reprogrammed the hives to self-regulate; the individual bugs followed the simple set of tasks I'd given them, but in a coordinated swarm of thousands, that added up to an increasingly complex set of behaviour.

I was so busy with my bugs that I barely even noticed the strong winds gathering outside. It was only when I felt the ground rumble through my bugs that I realised something was happening. Soon, the whole street was trembling like an earthquake. There were no windows in the warehouse, but as I left I saw that it was raining outside, with immense, pitch black clouds looming in the distance. I felt the swarm stir as the bugs realised instinctively the same thing I had; something was wrong.

I had set up a TV in my lair, along with a bed and a few other human essentials, but there was no signal. No reception on my phone either. Frowning, I threw on my costume and left urgently. The whole city felt ominously tense as the out-of-season storm rolled over us. My stomach clenched.

When I reached the Undersiders' hideout, I knew instinctively what was happening. Lisa answered the door before I even knocked, and the glint in her eyes confirmed it.

" _Leviathan_ ," I muttered breathlessly. I said the name like a curse.

Lisa nodded. "Where?" I asked.

"Boston," she answered simply. "It's bad."

"Fuck."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Fuck."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The rest of the day and the next morning was as a silent as the grave. Boston wasn't exactly nearby, but it was close enough that we were getting the fringe effects of Leviathan's storm. Unless things went Japan-level bad, Brockton Bay should be alright, but there was absolutely nothing we could do to help.

Perhaps we should have rushed to help. If Boston had been closer, we probably would have. The Protectorate did recruit the supervillains in the area to stand with them, but this time they didn't have much warning and I could understand that nobody thought to extend an invitation to the Undersiders during the panicked defence. We were just a small-time villain group a city away, and probably wouldn't be so useful anyways. At one point, though, we even debated driving to Boston straight away, but, honestly, then we were just more likely to get caught up in the tidal waves and wouldn't get close enough to do any good, anyways. Still, just doing _nothing_ was absolutely agonising. Eventually, I had to retire for the night as the lack of news was driving me insane.

The Undersiders knocked on my lair early next morning. They looked nervously at the huge billows of silk sheets and hives swarming with insects, but I led them towards the back, towards the 'human quarters' of my lair.

"How bad did it go?" I asked with a sigh. The air was tense.

Coil's information network, and thus Tattletale, got the news faster than anyone. "Pretty damn bad," Lisa admitted. "One of the worst causalities yet. Scion turned up way too late and Boston has been lost. As in: pretty much totally wiped off the map, along with a big chunk of the East Coast."

I sighed softly. "Damn." How many people had been slaughtered in the tidal waves? "What happened?"

"They managed to get a pretty good city-wide evacuation done, at least," Lisa explained. "But something went wrong when the capes were fighting back Leviathan. The information is hazy at the minute, but it seems like Leviathan unearthed something during the attack. It was going fairly ok until that, but Leviathan was heading straight towards some building in Boston, and then, well, some _thing_ was released."

"What?"

"Nobody's quite sure, exactly," Tattletale admitted. "Best description right now; a monster, one that was sent into a frenzy and started attacking the capes pretty much indiscriminately. The capes were caught completely off-guard, and, as if that wasn't bad enough, then the clones started to appear."

My eyes widened. " _Clones?_ "

Lisa raised her hands. "I don't know; I'm just relaying what I was told. I don't know what it was, but some monster appeared in the attack, and the monster started to produce clones. Clones of the defending capes. Dozens of them, reproducing madly, all of which then tried to murder their doppelgangers. It got, um, pretty bad."

"So there was some weird, powerful mutant parahuman hiding out in Boston, and then Leviathan came and let it loose," Brian concluded.

"Best anyone can tell, yeah," Lisa admitted. "The PRT was caught as much by surprise as anyone. The death toll hasn't come back yet, but it's high. I mean, over _fifty-percent_ high. The capes were so busy trying to deal with the clones that Leviathan managed to build up enough steam to sink the city. By the time Scion finally arrived, Leviathan was winding down anyways and the whole city was underwater."

"What happened to… that clone-producing monster?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm told that Leviathan killed it eventually," Lisa explained grimly. "Not so sure about all the clones, mind. Some of the clones likely survived, and, if rumours are to be believed, there are Alexandria and Eidolon clones among them."

I would have sworn, but the swear words just didn't seem enough. Alec sunk into his chair with a sigh. "Well, I need a drink," he muttered despondently, raising his hand in an invisible toast. " _Au revoir_ , Boston…"

"There were relatively few civilian casualties," Brian noted, with a grimace. "It could have been worse."

"Yeah," Alec agreed. "It could have been us."

Nobody said anything for a while after that. The Endbringer attacks were always devastating, and never stopped being devastating despite the frequency. There was absolutely nothing to do though, and instead we just milled around in solemn silence.

It was nearly five minutes before Lisa spoke again. "There's something we're going to have to think about, mind," she said finally. "Right now, the PRT is going to be licking their wounds for a while. They'll be a moment of quiet, in honour of the truce, but after that people are going to be making their move."

I frowned. "The Empire Eighty-Eight," I said simply.

"The Protectorate were the only ones that could really stop them, and they're going to be busy," Lisa explained. "With ABB gone, the Empire Eighty-Eight is going to be making a big push for the city."

"So we're the ones that are going to have to stop them," Brian muttered with a sigh. " _We_ need to take the city."

"Don't worry," Alec muttered sarcastically. "We're only outnumbered three-to-one. I'm sure it's going to be an absolute piece of cake fighting against the army of super-powered neo-Nazis."

"And there are other concerns," Lisa continued dryly. "With Boston devastated, there are now hundreds of thousands refugees with nowhere to go. Where do you think there'll be heading?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Here?"

"Brockton Bay is the closest major city to Boston," Lisa commented. "I bet you good money that in a week this city is going to be flooded with more refugees than we can handle. And with those, there are going to be the remaining villains coming with them."

I tried to recall the Boston gangs. There were the Ambassadors, the Fallen, the Teeth, and after that I lost track. I would have to check the wiki for the other players, but I could distinctly remember names like Blasto, Accord, Topsy and _Butcher_ …

"All of those guys, desperately trying to carve some territory back…" Brian muttered with a grimace. "Yeah, that could get pretty bad."

"There's an opportunity here too, though," Lisa muttered slowly, scratching her chin. "Think of it how a guy like Coil would see it. This city is going to be filled with refugees. Sure, there's going to be crime and chaos, but that also means new business, and development. There are going to be government grants for renovation coming in, and anybody who gets in quick could grab a big slice. I don't think that Coil is going to be backing off on his plan at all – he's going to go all in."

"That's a pretty cold way of looking at a tragedy," I muttered, not quite under my breath.

"Maybe," Lisa conceded. "But right now we've got an advantage, and I want to use it. All of the established gangs in Brockton Bay have a head start over any newcomers. We've got Empire Eighty-Eight as the big hurdle, but their infrastructure is bleeding. Only other contenders are Faultline's Crew and the Merchants, but Faultline won't be interested in taking the city and the Merchants would never be able to hold it. On the other hand, _we've_ got a reliable shadow backer, a proven track-record, and a growing reputation. We could do it."

My hands clenched under the table. _I'm a supervillain now_ , I reminded myself softly. _All in_. "Ok," I muttered. "So what's our play?"

"We go for the head," Lisa said firmly. "We take down Kaiser, and then the Empire Eighty-Eight will fracture."

There was a quiet pause. Eyes glanced towards Brian, and he nodded slightly. Alec sighed. "Ah screw it," Alec announced, rolling his eyes. "I never wanted to live forever anyways."

"And we're going to have to bring in more members," Brian decided with a groan. "We're going to need some real firepower here."

"How about a Tinker then?" I suggested. "I'm sick of everyone else having one except us. We could use a Tinker on our team."

Lisa chuckled under her breath, rolling her eyes. I looked at her. "What?" I demanded. "It's true – a Tinker would round out our group nicely."

"Well, yeah, but..." She paused. "…You really haven't figured it out yet, have you?" Lisa sighed.

"Huh?"

"Taylor…" Lisa said slowly. "… You _are_ a Tinker."

I blinked. Lisa rubbed her forehead and motioned to the roof of the warehouse; where there were giant spiders' skittering along huge looms of silk.

"I'm not a Tinker," I muttered dumbly.

"Really? Alright then, I want you to explain how your breeding pools are set up," Lisa challenged, folding her arms with a self-satisfied smirk. "I want you to explain, in detail, just how you managed to set up the hives as they are so everything works autonomously."

I opened my mouth, and then stopped. I could visualise it easily – it was like a giant web of independent agents, all moving individually, with every strand of the web diverging and splitting until it formed the result I wanted. Every web represented a trait I want to exaggerate, and the insects would filter through the sequence, gradually becoming bigger, stronger and more aggressive. Still, trying to vocalise something like that… I just couldn't. It was like trying to explain a work of art more than anything.

Lisa's smirk widened. She wasn't a telepath but sometimes it was hard to tell. "You can't describe it because a Tinker's work is more like art rather than science. They gain the intuitive knowledge of what to do, and that's very hard to describe, especially for someone just learning the basics," she explained. "You, dear Taylor, are a Tinker."

"But… but…" I looked at her like she was stupid. She returned the look. "… in that case, what do I actually make?"

"Well, duh, bugs, of course. Look at you – you're sitting in a factory designed to produce mutant bugs! You're doing the exact same thing with bugs that, say, Blasto does with plants," she motioned widely to my lair. "Intuitive knowledge of bug anatomy, behaviour and science – even if you're only just learning how to apply it. You're a Tinker, and your speciality is _bugs_."

I hesitated. "But I'm a Master," I protested.

Lisa shrugged. "It's pretty common for capes to fall into multiple categories," she said simply. "If I had to rate you now, I'd say you are a… hmm… Master 8… Thinker 3… and Tinker _4_."

I didn't know how to reply to that. I was struggling to process it. The other Undersiders were staring at me. There was a shadow of smile on Brian's face. Rachel looked slightly confused. Alec just looked towards Lisa, then back at me, and then around my lair.

Alec shook his head slowly. "Fucking _Tinkers_ , man…"

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

 **Got to admit, I totally didn't intend to write this. It wasn't planned, but I've been having trouble continuing my other stories, and I've had Worm on my mind. I wrote two and a half chapters of this story really easily more to get back into the flow of writing than anything else, but I did enjoy writing it and I like the concept.**

 **Any feedback is much appreciated, thanks a lot for reading :)**


	2. Mutation 02

**Mutation 1.02**

I moaned tiredly as the frantic knocking on the door broke my concentration. My bones ached as I shambled towards the door of my lair, instinctively ordering the spiders to pull back the thick silk cloth that acted as armour plating around my lair. The whole warehouse was sheathed in reinforced silk plating and honeycomb fortifications. There were top secret military bases that were a lot less secure than my warehouse.

Lisa was standing impatiently outside the door, banging on the door. As I opened it, her nose wrinkled. "God, Taylor…" she muttered with disgust. "What's that _smell_?"

My mouth tightened sheepishly. When I decided to set up my insect fortress, one thing I had forgotten to consider was bug excrement and how much it would _stink_. The smell was absolutely revolting, but there was no easy way around it. I had set up maggots and worms as a recycling system and I was working on getting the place ventilated properly, but it was still a work in progress. It'd be better once I built a proper plumbing system, I'd been telling myself.

"Sorry," I muttered, yawning tiredly. To be honest, I didn't really notice the stink anymore. "Air fresheners can only do so much."

Lisa looked at me worriedly as she scuffled her nose and walked into the lair. Despite the size of the warehouse, mammoth honeycombs, nests and webs made the warehouse feel like walking into some terrifying alien hive. The sound of skittering, clicking and buzzing was a dull background noise that I had slowly become accustomed to, but it was still freaky as hell.

"Look Taylor," Lisa said with a grimace. "I think it's great that you're trying to expand your powers so much, but I think you might be taking this whole thing just a little – _oh sweet mother of Jesus what the hell is that thing?!_ "

Her voice turned into a panicked squeal as she glimpsed the spiders scuttling above her between the sheets of silk overhead. I couldn't help but grin. Lisa's eyes widened in terror.

"It's a spider," I said smugly.

" _It's the size of a small puppy!_ " Lisa muttered in dull terror.

"Yep." I smirked. "They're getting big, hmm?"

The breeding program had been one hell of a success. My new spider strains were getting so large that their carapaces could barely support their bulk. I was suffering the cube-square law and breeding stunted spiders large enough that their exoskeletons would collapse under them before they reached maturity. Right now, brute force artificial selection wasn't cutting it anymore – I was having to start getting a bit cleverer and breeding hybrids between the more exotic species, and toughening their muscular skeletal systems.

"Taylor, this new hobby of yours is going from 'creepy but useful' to 'holy shit run for your lives'…" Lisa muttered dryly, her face still pale and her body jumpy. "You're going give the city a heart attack with these things."

"My mutant bugs are only for life or death situations," I explained firmly. "But there's going to be a lot of trouble soon, and I want to be ready for it."

We walked through the centre of the warehouse, past the massive ant hive leading to the tunnels and breeding chambers below, and towards the corner of the warehouse that I had walled off and designated 'human space'.

"I wanted to talk to you about spiders, actually," I said conversationally. "Right now I'm producing more silk than I can use. Plus, my specialist silk-weaving spiders are giving me reinforced silk so strong that it makes regular silk look like cotton." The hybrid species of black widows and Darwin bark spiders, fattened and selectively bred, had been a major success. "I reckon this place could start earning a small fortune in profit if we start selling the stuff on the black market."

"I agree," Lisa nodded. "I'll make calls about it, but I'm going to try and keep Coil out of it. It'll be good if we can build our own stream of revenue that doesn't involve him."

I nodded. Lisa curiously glanced around, before frowning and I could tell she was using her power to try and work out what my swarm was doing. "What are you working on?" She asked finally, pointing to a small beehive in the corner in the corner of the room. It was filled with drones, but none of them were active. "Those hives aren't behaving normally."

"It's an idea I had," I explained. "Right now, my biggest limit that I have is my range – it's why I've been staying in my lair so much because I've got to be close to keep everything working. So then, I started thinking, maybe I could make some special bugs to help me get around that. If I could have bugs that acted as a relay, imagine how useful that could be."

Lisa nodded, brow wrinkling. "I got the idea after what Panacea did to my bugs in the bank robbery," I admitted. "She turned my spiders into constant feedback bugs that disrupted my control. If I could do something similar but in reverse, then…"

"You'd have relay bugs," Lisa nodded. "But Panacea can _control_ biology. You can't. There's no way you could breed something like that."

"I wouldn't say that," I mused. The more I started to think about possibilities, the more ideas I had. "I _can_ control bug biology, in a sense. I can control hormonal cycles, instincts, and egg fertilisation. I can use pheromones and selective mutations to shift my bugs. That's genetic engineering in its most basic sense. Everything that Panacea can do, I think I could do the same to bugs – it'd just take me much longer."

"So you're planning on creating relay bees?" She asked curiously.

"That might be a bit optimistic," I confessed with a shrug, but unable to stop the excited grin. "Right now, I'm thinking of relay _hives_. Imagine an entire hive, made out of a hundred bees designed to work in unison, programmed to act as a singular machine, which are all mimicking and transmitting my brain pattern."

She paused. "Yep, you're definitely a Tinker," Lisa chuckled eventually. "I'm guessing you haven't been getting much sleep?"

"I've maybe been a little obsessed," I admitted sheepishly. In my defence, it _was_ exciting. I was basically trying to create a hive that acted as a brain.

"Most Tinkers get that way," she said, her eyes sympathetic. "But don't take it too far. You _will_ have to face your dad eventually, you know."

I grimaced but didn't respond. I'd been focusing on bugs so much because bugs were simple. I knew how to deal with bugs. Fortunately, Lisa didn't press the subject. I was thankful for her just letting me keep my little distraction going.

"Anyways, right now, we need you," she explained, more sombrely. "Things are heating up. The Empire is starting to move."

My muscles clenched. "What happened?"

"They're claiming the city," Lisa explained. "Last night, three dozen men were beaten to an inch of their lives and then strung up in the city centre. All of them were Asian."

xxxxxxxxxxx

I met with the other Undersiders at our hideout. Brian was pacing the room anxiously as I walked in. Lisa filled me in on the details on the way there.

The men assaulted had been remnants of the ABB, all of them hardened gangsters and thugs, so it was hard to feel too sorry for them, but this went beyond simple gang warfare. The Empire Eighty-Eight was sending a message – that much was clear.

What happened had been brutal. Over thirty men tortured and then put up on display in the centre of the city, like a price. Still, there was a savage cunning behind it too.

By attacking Lung's old gang, the Empire was effectively claiming responsibility for their part in taking the ABB down. They attacked gangsters, so the response wouldn't be limited. It was a statement that they were cleaning the streets up – something to _brag_ about, even.

But the dark undertones were unmistakable. It was also a statement saying 'Yep, this is how powerful we are. This is how far we will go. _We_ are the law now'.

I could see Kaiser's plan clearly. The Protectorate wouldn't have the manpower or the political support to come back at them at force for this. The fact that they were all Asian was a message too. The Empire Eighty-Eight would start to expand, slowly putting more and more pressure on the city's minorities.

I doubt the Empire would ever declare all non-whites banned from the city, not so publically at least, but they could suffocate the local businesses and harass the civilians until they eventually filtered Brockton Bay into the Aryan paradise they all dreamed about.

If they did it subtly enough, then the superheroes wouldn't even be able to respond properly. No all-out warfare, just a constant pressure mixed in with enough biased publicity until the Empire Eighty-Eight owned the city.

"So…" I muttered, once we all gathered. "What's the play?"

"The Empire isn't going to stop. They've got thugs patrolling the streets at night. They're making the claim, and they're making the claim _hard,"_ Brian muttered grimly. There was a flicker in his eyes that I empathised with. Brian was nearly six foot tall, heavily muscled and with superpowers to fall back on, so he was hardly easy prey for a gang of skinheads, but he had a sister too. I could tell he was anxious with the thought of what might happen if Aisha went out and got caught by Empire thugs…

"The Protectorate and the Wards are too distracted after Leviathan to stop them. New Wave won't be enough. Faultline won't step in, Coil is too smart to face them directly, and the Merchants would be slaughtered," Lisa murmured.

"I guess that means it's all down to us." I said firmly.

"You do realise how massively outgunned we are?" Alec retorted. "Sure, we're good enough at hit and runs, but the Empire has serious _firepower_. I mean, Purity alone could level city blocks. In any fight between us and them, it's going badly for us."

"Then we don't fight directly," Brian countered. "That's what _we're_ best at. We need to apply constant pressure, whittle away at them. They're the ones marching through the streets, so _they're_ going to have go on the defensive."

Lisa nodded in agreement. "Yeah. If we can push them enough that they'll do something drastic, they'll collapse. Kaiser is being too ambitious, we've got to make him overreach himself. We need push them into a corner."

Rachel grunted, folding her arms. Alec smirked. "Right." He grinned. "So basically we've just got to annoy them enough until they make a mistake."

"Exactly!" Lisa's grin widened. "Nobody engages directly, instead we just need to find some way of constantly punishing them from a distance…"

There was a pause. Slowly, one by one, they all turned to look at me. I blinked.

"What?" I muttered suspiciously.

Lisa's expression was almost feral. "…How are those scorpions of yours coming along?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

One day and one lengthy argument later, I was sitting outside in a pleasant little café, out of costume, pretending to drink my coffee. I had to admit, despite my initial reservations, I was enjoying myself.

Opposite the café, the headquarters of Medhall Corporation, a large imposing glass building, was having a nightmare of a work day.

I counted no less than five different exterminators enter that building in the last three hours. All five of them had left screaming.

Meanwhile, I just sipped my coffee and flickered through my book.

I had to force myself not to grin as, a hundred feet away, I watched the pandemonium unfold through the senses of a thousand bugs.

Max Anders, aka Kaiser, was pacing his office, angrily slamming his hand as sheets of metal attempted so seal up the cracks of the drywall where insects were spilling out. Every second dozens of bugs were squashed by metal nets sweeping through the air, but the flies and mosquitoes still buzzed through the air.

It had taken a simple phone call to Coil to learn their civilian identities and the Empire's dummy corporation. Tattletale had convinced Coil not to go leak the news to the media and out them, that it was better to send a message this way.

The whole building was in a state of panic. It was with a perverse glee that I realised that bees could burrow and nest in solid stone. The Empire Eighty-Eight was having a hell of time figuring that one out.

"This is Skitter, sir!" A blonde, attractive woman shouted, madly. Fenja, I guessed. Or Menja. Either one of the twins. She was swatting at flies madly and flinching as they dived into her and crawled into her clothes.

" _Well of course it's bloody Skitter!_ " Kaiser snarled, struggling to keep back the insects. It was very hard for anyone to keep up a cool and confident demeanour, considering there had been bed bugs in his bed, maggots in his breakfast, and there lice crawling around in his hair.

"We've got a problem, boss!" Victor roared, charging through the swarm. There were so many flies it was useless to even try and swat them. The core members of the Empire Eighty-Eight were the only ones still left in the building. All the other workers had rushed home or refused to come into work.

"You think?!" Kaiser snarled, veins on his forehead bulging. A metal spear emerged from the floor and slammed into the wall in frustration.

"The flies are a distraction!" Victor shouted. "We've got bloody _termites_ in the foundation! They're dismantling the bloody building!"

To be honest, that had taken a bit of work. Normally termites couldn't eat concrete, of course, but it was amazing what could be achieved with a bit of coordination, dedication, and multiple species working together.

Kaiser's eyes bulged. "Hire exterminators! However much it costs, I want this place cleared of bugs right away!"

"I tried! I've hired the best exterminators around," Victor snapped. "Apparently the technical term for this type of infestation is ' _oh fucking hell_ '!"

Across the street, I chuckled as I sipped my coffee innocently. There were few exterminators that would handle a case when the insects fought back.

"But what about the production line?" Kaiser demanded. "This is a bloody company! We've got pharmaceuticals to sell!"

Victor shook his head. "And there are cockroaches eating through the product as we speak. I can't stop them all. We're bleeding money here, boss."

"It's not just here," a voice growled, stomping into the office. It was a big, hairy man with long, greasy hair and a swastika tattooed on his bicep. Hookwolf. Apparently nobody cared about maintaining distance from the Empire Eighty-Eight and their dummy pharmaceutical corporation anymore. " _Everywhere_ has been hit by fucking bugs!"

Kaiser's lips tightened, giving up trying to stop the flies as they buzzed around him. He stared at Hookwolf furiously. Purity might be the strongest cape of the Empire Eighty-Eight, but Hookwolf was the most vicious. Their number one enforcer-slash-murderer.

"All of our businesses. All of our stash houses. All of our fucking bars. Our men are being hounded by swarms of bugs, most of them haven't even reported in," Hookwolf snarled.

"And our capes?" Kaiser demanded.

"Being followed by fucking bugs!" He spat the word. "The fucking things just don't stop – we've got flies following us down the street."

Maybe it was a bit mean, I admitted to myself, but it was hard to feel sorry for murderous Nazis. I was opposed to it initially on the grounds it was essentially bullying, but Lisa made a convincing argument.

The real scary thing about this type of torture was that it just didn't stop. You could shrug off bugs for a while, but when they were in your home, in your food, in your bed. That was enough to drive a man insane. It meant all of the Empire Eighty-Eight were well and truly marked by the swarm of flies following them around.

And the best part was that the Empire was trapped. They couldn't even walk outside in their civilian identities without the swarm of flies making it pretty obvious who they really were.

Honestly, I wasn't even doing that much anymore. I had simply spent the night dousing the white supremacists and their properties in concentrated bug pheromones. The rest was all just the wildlife reacting instinctively.

If I wanted to, it could have been a lot worse. There were no poisonous spiders in the assault. I _had_ managed to convince Lisa that scorpions were overkill. There was no murderous army of ants. Nothing coordinated or with any intent to hurt. Just flies and other constant, relentless irritations.

Empire Eighty-Eight had sent a message last night. I was sending one back.

This wasn't just poking the bear. This was kicking the bear in the balls, giving it fleas and then laughing at it from out of sight.

 _It was slightly unsettling how much fun I was actually having watching them squirm_ , I admitted quietly. Maybe it was leaning on the unwritten rules a bit, but this was a gang war between organised crime, not a supervillain battle.

I was throwing the Empire Eighty-Eight into disarray. At the same time, Bitch and Grue were raiding stash houses and running away in darkness. Regent was probably tripping up racists as they crossed the street for giggles.

Meanwhile, Tattletale was using her power and diving into the accounts of the Empire Eighty-Eight's dummy businesses, while passing everything she found straight onto the IRS. Pretty soon, they were going to face one nightmare of audit.

We were attacking the Empire Eighty-Eight where they were most vulnerable – their infrastructure, and we were attacking hard.

"The Undersiders…" Kaiser growled, still twitching with the flies as he paced restlessly. "They're gunning for us and this is a declaration of war…"

"The Undersiders are small-time," Victor argued.

Kaiser shook his head, flinching as a fly tried to buzz into his ear. "Not if they take us down, they won't be…" Kaiser paused. "… That stunt they pulled at the fundraiser… I should have known they were planning on making a move…"

"Then we kill them," Hookwolf growled, cracking his knuckles. "Give me Stormtiger and Cricket. I could end them."

Kaiser frowned, deep in thought. "They won't be so easy to catch. They're obviously not planning on a direct fight here… Won't be able to even find them, they've got no territory to march on…" He glanced at Hookwolf darkly. "Bitch. She has a place on the edge of the city, where she keeps all of those mutts. Go there. _Skin_ every dog you find."

My eyes narrowed. If Bitch had heard him say that, things would have gone very bad for him very quickly. Back in the office, I felt Hookwolf shaking his head. "I tried. That place has been cleared out." Hookwolf folded his arms. "I know plenty of animal shelters. If its dog corpses you want, I'll bring you a hundred by the end of the day."

Kaiser's brow furrowed. "We've got to be careful here…" He murmured. "They're _trying_ to bait us. If we play our hand too hard, the whole city could turn on us just like it turned on the ABB."

"But we can't keep on suffering this!" Victor snapped, motioning to the flies. "We're bleeding manpower, reputation and territory the longer these bugs keep on coming."

Kaiser nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "That means we've got find Skitter and put her down as quickly as possible."

He seemed to reach a decision. With a flick of his fingers, his metal armour started to materialise over his body. He turned to face Hookwolf as his face disappeared behind a metal mask with a crown of thorns.

"You take charge," he ordered. "Find the Undersiders, make a _statement_. Make it brutal, make it bloody, fine, but, most importantly, make it _fast_. I want those punks dead straight away."

Hookwolf grunted, an evil smirk twisting over his face. Kaiser glanced at Victor. "Keep Purity out of this," he ordered darkly. "She won't like what's going to happen next."

Kaiser paused, and then turned to face the blond woman. "Jessica," he muttered softly. I could barely make out the words through my swarm. "Spread the word around. See what you dig up on this Skitter. Find out who she is." He glanced at Hookwolf. "And Brad, you turn up at Skitter's _school_ if you have to."

 _So that's how they wanted to play it_ , I thought coldly. _Fine_. We were ready for them.

Victor and the woman, Jessica, both left. Kaiser was left alone with Hookwolf. The large thug was still smirking. "Can you handle this?" Kaiser asked coldly. "No holds barred. No truce."

Hookwolf's smirk widened. "Oh yes, it'll be my _pleasure_."

"Good." The word rang in the air. "How will you start?"

"Bitch," Hookwolf replied smugly. "I've got an axe to grind with her, anyways. That whore is angry and easy to draw out of hiding. I think I'll visit those dog shelters anyways."

Kaiser paused. "Just remember that we're trying to build something here. We've got a reputation we need to protect." There was another pause. "And remember that there's no reputation lost if there are no survivors to talk about it."

Hookwolf was grinning as he left the building. My eyes narrowed as I watched him leave. I put my book down and started to think.

Hookwolf was a killer. A parahuman that could turn his body into spinning metal blades, with a nearly indestructible body, and complete lack of remorse. He handled the Empire's dirty work while Kaiser kept up the pretence that that his organisation was 'fighting for the rights of the white male against the influx of foreign disease and decay'. Hookwolf was just a murderer with no delusions of grandeur. A neo-Nazi with a superpower.

I rubbed my temples as I concentrated in thought. Hookwolf could rack up a body count, and Kaiser might be able to twist it such that the deaths were the Undersiders fault for provoking him.

It was quite cunning the way Kaiser used Hookwolf – he was a brute, serrated instrument in the Empire's toolbox. Everyone knew that Hookwolf was doomed for the Birdcage eventually, and Kaiser had never quite integrated him fully into his organisation. He kept Hookwolf at a distance, maintaining just enough of a professional separation that there wasn't so much of an association, even though Hookwolf did Kaiser's bidding and Kaiser kept him well-sated.

Slowly, I dialled a number and lifted my phone to my ear. Lisa answered halfway through the first ring.

"How's it going?" She asked curiously.

"Panicked, I would say," I replied smoothly, keeping my voice down but acting completely nonchalant. "He's restless. And very angry"

"Good." Lisa said smugly. "Angry people make mistakes. Angry people are predictable."

"Hmm. Well, he's just let the wolf off the leash," I said simply. "And I think we need to change the plan. I know we said we'd take down the head down first, but it'd be a lot easier to get to the head if we cut off the _left hand_ first."

She paused. "Hookwolf…" She mused. "He's a tough bastard to take down, mind."

"Let's meet up in the next hour," I suggested. "I'm pretty sure I know where he's going. And I've got a plan."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Hookwolf was whistling as he strolled through the concrete corridor, firmly ignoring the flies buzzing by his eyes. He was probably suppressing his anger by imagining all the horrible things he'd do to us when he found us.

The building was dull stone and narrow corridors, abandoned next to an old construction side. There was supposed to be a motorway built here before the funding ran out nearly about five years ago. The foundations had been built, but not much else, leaving a barren concrete site at the edge of the city. The gangs and the lowlifes flocked to this place, and Hookwolf claimed a chunk of it just for himself. In the centre, an empty concrete structure that had probably been supposed to be some sort of maintenance hatch.

It was ideal for his dogfighting ring, in any case. Hookwolf had fitted cages across throughout the structure, and made a shallow pit in the centre of the room where the starved dogs would fight. There were claw marks and blood stains on the concrete ground. The dogs were all half-starved, barking madly and clawing at the cages as he passed.

The entrance had been outfitted with a reinforced steel, deadbolt door ever since Bitch raided one of his other dogfights in the city. We had still managed to break through, of course.

I figured that before Hookwolf went off to slaughter dogs, he would check in at his dogfighting ring. He might be able to find another prize hound for his cages while killing all the others, of course. There was a dark figure waiting for him in the centre of the pit.

Hookwolf's eyes narrowed as he saw the lowlifes he hired to keep the dogs tortured and hungry had been chased out. He wasn't whistling as he walked towards the figure standing in the centre of the pit, particularly as he recognised the grey mask and the bugs buzzing everywhere.

" _Skitter_ …" He growled murderously, jumping easily into the pit. "You've caused us a lot of bother today."

" _Good_ ," I replied, speaking through the bugs. My voice echoed eerily with the buzzing. " _I'm here to deliver a message._ "

"Not interested in hearing it!" Hookwolf snapped, lashing out with his arm. His hand instantly transformed into a claw of whirling metal blades slashing furiously. He cut straight through the figure starting in front of him, and the decoy splattered into a hundred insects. Hookwolf snarled in frustration, stamping on centipedes, as his body started to transform.

"You misunderstand," I muttered, stepping out behind a pillar around the pit and speaking with my real voice. "You _are_ the message."

His face twisted in a mixture of glee and rage. Grue walked out the shadows next to me, while Tattletale and Regent were on my other side. Hookwolf was left standing in the shallow pit, while we surrounded him. His eyes were feral. Even behind our masks, ours were cold.

"You think _you_ can take me?" Hookwolf taunted, his body mass slowly expanding into more metal blades. "Come on! I'll murder the lot of you!"

Grue shook his head. His power-enhanced voice was frighteningly low. "We're not here to fight," he muttered slowly. "This is a _dogfight_. We're the audience."

" _We're_ just here to watch," Tattletale said coldly.

His eyes narrowed. I pointed towards the other side of the ring, at the entrance. " _She's_ the one who's going to kill you," I said emotionlessly.

He turned to stare at a Bitch, walking towards him, her body tensed. Her eyes were just as feral as his where. She wasn't a wearing a mask either. She wanted to see Hookwolf's eyes.

Hookwolf was laughing. "Fine!" He roared, turning to face Bitch. His body was still shifting, transforming into whirling knives as he became larger, morphing into a giant metal wolf. His voice sounded as rough as metal blades scraping together. He was larger than a small van, a monstrous, metal wolf of jagged edges and sharp claws. " _I'll rip you all apart!_ "

One of the most surprising things was, at that moment, I really didn't care what happened to him. All my empathy was used up. I had seen pictures of the things Hookwolf had done, of the people he had killed, and he was absolutely remorseless. He didn't play by the rules, and I didn't feel like playing either.

A monster like him belonged more in the Slaughterhouse Nine rather than in Brockton Bay. I could treat him as such.

Hookwolf tensed, ready to lunge. Bitch just growled, baring her teeth as her face twisted viciously. " _I heard you liked killing dogs!_ " She snarled furiously, throwing her hands up, pointing at the cages next to her.

With that, all hell exploded. There was the sound of cages being torn open and flesh ripping apart. Muscles split and grew into hulking sharps and guttural snarling filled the air.

Without a second's hesitation, the Undersiders all turned and ran for their lives. Hookwolf didn't react in time.

All the while we'd been luring him into the centre of the ring, Bitch had been using her power on the fighting dogs in the cages. All of them. At once.

The exertion almost made Bitch collapse, but then Grue and I were by her side, half-pulling and half-dragging her to the door.

The dogs roared maniacally, snapping through the cages like they were paper as bony plates and spikes grew over calcified flesh. Suddenly, there were dozens of three thousand pound demon dogs rampaging through the room.

Bitch hadn't even been sure whether she was capable of using her power on so many dogs, at once – but she had been really, _really_ angry when I told her about Hookwolf's plan of slaughtering dogs to draw her out.

Hookwolf lunged at us, a mammoth figure of metal blades bursting through the air. Both of Grue and I leapt forward feeling the whoosh of air as Hookwolf carved through the ground towards us. Grue threw up a blanket of darkness around us, while Hookwolf slashed forward with his claws. His limb stretched during the swipe, coming so close I felt the blades punch against my silk costume.

I sensed Hookwolf readying himself to lunge again, but then three shapes the size of small vans crashed into him, tearing through metal with ravenous ferocity. The force took Hookwolf to the ground, collapsing into a pile of snarling and snapping as Grue, Bitch and I staggered up off the floor.

The mutant dogs charged. Even before they had been turned into giant, unstoppable monsters, they were feral, angry and starved. Right now, they did the one thing they had been trained to do by so much cruelty – they leapt into the pit to tear their opponent apart.

Even with a body made out of metal blades, Hookwolf still roared in panic as dozens of giant dogs leapt out at him, gouging through metal with wild intensity. Metal blades sparked against bone claws and the pit erupted into chaos. The concrete was torn apart as the dogs leapt onto Hookwolf furiously.

Hookwolf's metal body was larger, but the dogs were relentless. They attacked him from all sides, snapping and biting madly even as the metal blades tore through their giant bodies. In seconds, Hookwolf was buried under the pile of giant dogs, all of them frantically trying to find a part of him to tear open.

Even exhausted, Bitch paused to use her power on the last few dogs in cages as we rushed to the door. Grue's darkness managed to keep the dogs off us as we went for the door. As soon as we reached it, Grue and Regent both slammed the reinforced door shut and jammed it desperately.

From the fighting pit, it sounded liked absolute maniac pandemonium. The ground was rumbling from the impact of so many dogs raising hell. The snarls and roars were so loud it was deafening.

There was absolutely nothing on the planet that could control nearly four dozen, three-thousand pound, enraged, mutant hellhounds.

Dogs that had all been locked in a small building with the man who had tortured and abused them.

Hookwolf was a tough bastard but he wasn't _that_ tough.

We were all sweating in primal panic as the noises only increased in intensity. Bitch had been left so exhausted she couldn't even stand, her body trembling madly, but her eyes were just as feral. Grue and I glanced at each other, before we all turned to run. It probably wasn't a good idea to hope that the building would be able to hold the dogs indefinitely.

In a few hours, when Bitch's power wore off and the Empire Eighty-Eight scraped whatever was left of Hookwolf up off the floor, I was willing to bet that Kaiser would get the message.


	3. Mutation 03

**Mutation 1.03**

We all stayed the night at the hideout, even Brian and I. It probably wasn't a good idea for anyone to be walking out alone. Rachel had been pacing the room madly, struggling to calm down. She had managed to accept that it was the only way we could stop Hookwolf, but I could still see how much it hurt for her to think of all those dogs that had been left tearing each other apart.

At one point, Rachel and Brian went out in costume, about two hours after we got back. They came back hour later, with Rachel dragging six nearly rabid dogs with her, while Brian carried a terrier with a badly bandaged leg over his shoulder. The dogs were so scared and angry that it took Rachel's pack and lots of struggling to keep them in line. The dog Brian was carrying looked like it had been sedated. Those seven were the only ones they had managed to rescue from the fighting pit. The rest had either died or ran away. I wordlessly volunteered my room for the dogs, while giving Rachel a wide berth.

After that, we settled in for a night of tense silence and maniac barking and howling. No one slept, but I helped Rachel try to calm and treat the dogs, all the while avoiding eye contact and barely even speaking. She didn't object to my presence, at least.

Well past midnight, Brian left, out of costume, to scout around. When he came back, we gathered in the living room for a meeting. When I was about to ask him what happened to Hookwolf, he just nodded grimly.

"So…" Brian said eventually, taking a deep swig of water as he sat down. "…Right now, Kaiser's out for blood. Word is that he's offering _seven figures_ for our heads."

"That was always the plan," Lisa said firmly. "He's angry, but he's also scared. He's vulnerable and he knows it. Worse, the whole city knows it. Right now, we stick to the horror movie tactics and he's stuck in a corner."

I frowned. "Horror movie tactics?" I asked quizzically.

"Yep," she nodded. "We keep up constant pressure; we hound them until there's no place for them to run, we scare them until they snap. Taylor, you need to keep up with the bugs. Absolutely any building that bears an Empire Eight-Eight tag gets eaten by termites. You need to cut off their hiding places, draw them out, force them to keep on moving against an enemy they can't face. That's part one."

My gut clenched, but I kept my face was firm. Lisa was right; the Empire Eighty-Eight had to go. Too many people had suffered under them already, and if I had terrorise a few skinheads to get rid of them, I could live with that.

"Brian, Alec, you're part two," Lisa explained in the exact same voice. "You're the ones that hinder their movements, trip them up, force them to divide. Keep them running around, keep them so busy trying to catch something that they run out steam. Make sure that all their movements backfire until they're useless."

Brian muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch. Lisa turned to Rachel. "And Rachel, _you're_ the final part of any horror movie strategy. The violence. As soon as they're vulnerable, you strike hard, make it bloody, and then you run fast. Keep up that type of pressure, pick off the capes one by one, and I guarantee that they'll break within the week."

Rachel didn't reply, but her eyes were hard. "You've got a nasty streak sometimes, you know that?" Alec commented.

"Like _you_ can talk," Lisa retorted.

"So what's your part in this horror movie plan?" I asked curiously.

"Me? I'm the mind games," Lisa replied, folding her arms and leaning backwards. "The psychological threat. The scariest part of any horror villain is always what you _think_ they might do to you."

I must have looked doubtful. Lisa smirked. "Trust me, there's a reason why everyone is so scared of those types of tactics. Keep it up, we break the Empire with fear, and everyone will know exactly who's responsible. Do that, and the city is ours."

"Alright then," Brian said after a pause. "So Hookwolf is down, and Kaiser must be frantic. Who's the next target?"

"Purity," Lisa replied firmly. I raised my eyebrow. Purity was the heaviest hitter the Empire had; strong enough to demolish city blocks, capable of flying and firing laser beams. She wouldn't be so easy to corner as Hookwolf was.

"You sure?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yep, but I think I can handle Purity by myself," Lisa said simply. She noticed my expression and explained. "Purity is Kaiser's ex-wife. They have a child together, but after lots of affairs and a marriage of manipulation, she hates his guts. The only reason she's still with the Empire is because Kaiser has manipulated her back in. Give me five minutes with Purity and I reckon I can spill enough of Kaiser's dirty little secrets that she'll storm out of the Empire by herself."

"Really?" I asked curiously. "What dirty little secrets?"

"Oh, there's _plenty_. Probably the most effective one against her is that Kaiser has already filed custody papers and is planning on taking their daughter from her in a year's time, and sending her off to Germany to be raised 'properly'. After that, Kaiser thinks he can blackmail Purity to keep on working for him by holding their daughter over her head."

"Damn…" Brian muttered. "Fuck that guy."

"That's nothing compared to what he's planned for his son, Theo," Lisa continued smugly. Combining Coil's information network with Lisa's power and there was pretty much no secret she couldn't undercover. "He's arranged to enrol Theo Anders in a 'boot camp' run by Nazi scientists to torture him into triggering. Again, in a year's time. He wants to try and manipulate Purity a bit more until then.

I could believe it easily enough. Still, something about Lisa's smirk made me pause. The explanation seemed a bit too specific even for her power. "How much of that is true?" I asked suspiciously.

Lisa's smirk just widened. "Enough to truly mess up the little relationship Kaiser has got her in," she said with a shrug. "Just put me in the same room with Purity, and I can dig up enough dirt that she might even murder him for us. Kaiser has a _lot_ of dirt."

I wasn't surprised. Lisa was the unmatched queen of gas-lighting, after all. Purity's relationship with Kaiser was already rocky at best – there was a broken marriage, a small child, lots of distrust, and a criminal empire involved, after all. Tattletale would be able to tear that relationship apart with a few precise secret-reveals in the same way that a wolf could tear through a sheep.

"Well, that sounds like a game-plan to me," I said after a moment's hesitation. "I've still got another few Empire buildings that need to get termite-d, and then we can move against the capes. Also, Brian, I think we should talk to some of the shop owners and businesses around the Boardwalk. Let's see if we can convince them to stop paying the Empire Eighty-Eight protection money."

He frowned. " _You_ want to collect protection money from them?"

"No, the opposite," I explained. "We convince them not to pay _anybody_ protection money, especially not the Empire Eighty-Eight. Everyone knows the Empire is suffering, it wouldn't be too hard a sell to get them to keep their money. If enough of the businesses decide not to pay, we could take a big chunk out of the Empire's cash flow and influence, and there's no way that the Empire could burn down half the Boardwalk just to make a point."

Lisa blinked. "…That's a pretty good idea, actually."

"Then let's get to work," I said with a smile, cracking knuckles. "My ants have been evacuating the old sewers and storm drains around the city for a while now. We can use them and move around the city to pretty much anywhere."

They Undersiders nodded and started to move out. We had been sticking together in teams; Grue working with Bitch for our heavy hitters, Regent with Tattletale for support, and me with a swarm of insects for wide scale devastation. As the others moved away, Lisa walked up to me to talk quietly.

"There is a catch though," Lisa added quietly, as she reached for her mask. "Right now, the Empire Eighty-Eight is funded directly from the Geselleschaft in Europe. It's one of the big reasons they've survived so long. If the Empire Eighty-Eight get into trouble, they can always pull more resources from Geselleschaft, and _they're_ very interested in establishing an American powerbase."

I grimaced. "So how do we stop them?"

"Kaiser," Lisa said simply. "He's still the priority. Kaiser has built everything around him, just like Allfather did before him, and Kaiser is the only one the Geselleschaft will really work with. With Kaiser, he's got the force of an international criminal powerhouse behind him. Without Kaiser, they're just a pack of skinheads."

I frowned. "So basically ..."

"So long as Kaiser operates, we can never really get rid of the Empire Eighty-Eight," she said softly. "We _are_ going to have to take Kaiser out." There was a pause. "… Are you sure you're going to be ok with that?"

I hesitated. I had been waiting for a while to experience some sort of guilt over Hookwolf's death. It had been my plan to corner him, my plan to unleash the dogs. I kept on expecting some wave of overwhelming guilt.

Hookwolf had managed to kill at least eight of the mutant dogs before the rest tore him into shrapnel. The truth was, I felt much guiltier about the dogs dying than I did about Hookwolf. Hookwolf had sacrificed his right to compassion years ago. Kaiser was a different type of monster, but no better.

"Yes," I replied simply, surprising myself by how much I meant it.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, and I was in my lair, slowly examining the largest spider I had ever bred so far. At this point, it was a crossbreed between so many different species that I didn't even know what to call it anymore. I had even bred between tarantula and spider species, but somehow my power made it work. This spider's legs stood nearly three feet apart – large enough to wrap its legs easily around some poor soul's head, with fangs that could tear out a man's eye, and venom glands large enough to hold enough venom to kill a man.

The spider was so large I could clear see every detail, every hair, every joint, and it clicked audibly as it moved. Black beady eyes stared at me unblinkingly.

Hell, I was in complete control of it but even _I_ was scared.

I stared at the spider for a few seconds, and then, slowly, I released it from my control. Nothing happened for a while, but then the spider slowly slumped lamely to the ground. Its legs slipped and it's whole body went limp. It looked almost pathetic.

I sighed. _What did I expect?_ I mused to myself.

At one point, I had been growing spiders from egg to 'maturity' in less than a day. I had spider queens pumping out eggs factory line style, and I pumped them so full of growth hormones and nutrients that they just grew. Even from day one, they had been mutant and malformed insects.

The spider in front of me would never, ever be able to survive on its own. Despite its size, it's brain was completely undeveloped. I had to control every movement otherwise it would collapse. The spider had no instincts of its own.

In a word, the spider had been left totally retarded.

There were more physical deformities too. Its carapace was misshapen, its joints could barely hold its body, and its silk glands were swollen and useless. It was so large that its book lungs could barely support its weight, and I had to manually tell it to breathe, pant even, otherwise it would suffocate. It couldn't skitter very fast at all – stumble, on eight legs, would be a better description.

I stared at the goliath spider curiously. _Definitely terrifying_ , I decided finally, _but impractical_.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Many of the bugs ended up similarly deformed – but I could manage them. I was getting more and more useless mutants, until the point I had to scrap many of the breeding pools. However, the breeding pools that were still working were starting to produce some gems.

I had spiders designed especially for silk weaving that were now so good the silk was practically invulnerable. My giant beetles, based mostly around Goliath and Hercules beetles, were developing slowly but showing promise. Other promising insects included my centipedes, which I was a bit surprised to find had developed into one of the largest insects I had. The giant centipedes had adapted much better to growth hormones than the spiders, creating centipedes that were now reaching over a metre long. I was still working to make poisonous versions of them, though.

But one of my most efficiently, bloodcurdling horrifying breeds had been mutant versions between the tarantula hawk wasp and the Giant Asian hornet – producing a giant hornet capable of injecting its larvae into living flesh, and the larvae would then grow and eat the victim alive _from underneath the skin_.

Yeah, I had to keep _that_ one under close supervision otherwise it could quite easily devour through the majority of my swarm.

Still there was just so much more that I wanted to do. I found myself researching giant, now extinct, sea scorpions, and wondering whether I could replicate them by breeding lobsters and crabs. Crustaceans were probably my best bet at producing monstrously large creations. _I would have to see if I could I import lobsters and crabs in large quantities_ , I mused. _If I'm going to have to build an aquarium_ …

I was getting results though. I was producing a lot of monstrous, malformed insects that could barely even breathe now, but there others, smaller but still large, that were operating fine.

 _Maybe I need to slow down with the mass breeding_ , I decided, deep in thought. _Plan out the results; get some more order in here and organise the type of bugs I needed. My powers were really, really good at organising things_.

With my powers, I could experiment with thousands of different variations of bugs all at once. The breeding pools each gave a different result. Many were useless, of course, but then there were others…

There had been challenges, of course. I needed now large deliveries of raw fish feed (it proved the most economical food supply) once every other day, by the truckload. Likewise, some of the insects that I had ordered cost small fortunes to be delivered in the quantities I needed. Still, Lisa was only just starting to scout out the market for my silk, and the response was already overwhelming positive. Very shortly, I was willing to bet that my spider silk factory would pay for itself.

With so many different insects, all working together, disease was inevitable. Still, I'd been very paranoid about any diseases jumping between species – any bug that showed any symptoms of sickness was ruthlessly shredded by its peers. I had programmed the hives to clean up after themselves maniacally. It was now the most hygiene insect swarm ever.

I grinned. _God, I love multi-tasking Thinker powers_. I could focus on a thousand different elements all at once.

Slowly, I was beginning to exploit my Tinker powers better as well. I was beginning to realise that my Tinker abilities relied on _iteration_. I couldn't produce anything directly – instead I had to work towards it gradually. The more loops I made, the more failed attempts, the better my powers would adjust and the more efficient I would become.

It had been hard to get started, it had been an aspect of my powers I hadn't even realised before, but now I could feel myself building momentum.

The relay hives were proof of that. I had yet to build a hive that could transmit my powers, but I could feel myself moving into the right direction. I had dozens of beehives, all of them programmed slightly differently, adjusting their behaviour until they converged onto the right solution. Thousands of iterations, and I could start to feel the results.

It was brute force problem solving. Factory line trial and error was handling the innovation for me.

I couldn't know how long it would take. It might be weeks before I reached the right result, it might even be years, but it was what my powers excelled at. I was beginning to realise that my Tinker powers didn't help me design anything directly – instead I designed _systems_ that designed things. My powers were all about the organisation.

I was so busy concentrating on my swarm that I barely even realised the men heading towards my warehouse, right until they crossed the perimeter line and my guard-ants sent off a pheromone warning. It was nearly dusk, and these men moved with purpose. I paused, watching the men closely. There were four – all of them were tattooed, and smeared in bug spray. They were keeping their distance from my warehouse, trying to act inconspicuous.

I tensed. One of them was talking on their phone, but they were too far away for me to hear the words. Another moved to the warehouse, tried to peer through the blacked-out windows, before approaching the door, but didn't try to open it.

About five minutes later, the four thugs were joined by another five.

 _Finally_. I sighed, and took out my phone, calling Lisa. "Looks like the Empire Eighty-Eight has finally found me," I said simply, as soon as she answered.

"Well, it's about time," Lisa replied. "What took them so long?"

"Not a clue. Maybe I should have been more obvious."

"So then, are you ready for this?"

"Yep," I said smoothly, as I readied my army of bugs. The whole warehouse roared. "Pretty ready."

"The Undersiders will be there in half an hour."

"Take your time," I suggested, before hanging up.

The E88 thugs were all gathering themselves. Fifteen of them now, in total. Five had shotguns, two had pistols, and the rest had clubs or crowbars. Two of them had dozens of canisters of bug spray strapped into their belt. They all stunk of mosquito repellent. I watched as the small mob swaggered up to my door, and, gruffly, tried to it knock the door down.

The spider silk reinforced wood barely even trembled.

In return, I dropped about twenty giant spiders straight from the roof onto their unsuspecting heads.

I swear, I didn't even know it was _possible_ for grown men to scream like that.

The spiders never even bit or tried to give chase. Instead, I just let the thugs go, watching them as they ran for their lives with absolute terror.

I couldn't help but grin as I settled in to wait for the reinforcements to arrive.

I knew this was would happen eventually. Hell, I wanted it to happen. We had planned for it to happen. The Empire Eighty-Eight had been bleeding and suffering for over a week. They had been crippled, but they hadn't _lost_.

There had to be a battle before they could lose.

My insects had slaughtered their morale and their infrastructure. They were struggling to keep members. They couldn't hold their territory, and their business was ruined.

When Purity stormed out a day ago, running away with both of Kaiser's children, many of Purity's supporters had left with her. Kaiser didn't even have enough resources left to chase after her.

Kaiser was getting desperate. He had lost both of his big hitters, Hookwolf and Purity, one after another. His business was ruined. His Empire was failing to pieces.

The last I saw of Kaiser, he had used his power to seal up his whole penthouse with metal plates, so seamless that not even an ant could get through. The fear of poisonous insects creeping in when he was sleeping had been too much. He managed to get away from my swarm, but he was also cut off from his gang and struggling to even pump oxygen into metal container. I could imagine him pacing around his metal-lined penthouse, fuming to think of a way to stop us, but we had given him no opportunity even for a confrontation. Kaiser had been losing control from day one.

This morning, I think I might have pushed him over the edge. Normal insects couldn't reach him, so I'd been forced to get creative. I watched his building diligently, learning his patterns, how he operated. Every morning, he had a shower at eight exactly. It had taken me a full day to scout out and learn the plumbing system that ran through his building.

And so I had directed _leeches_ to swim through the water pipes, and force themselves straight through the shower hose.

I could only imagine Kaiser's reaction when suddenly his morning shower was interrupted by dozens of slimy bloodsuckers pouring onto his body, and into his _hair_ …

Lisa had wanted Kaiser foaming-at-the-mouth-angry. I would say that definitely did it.

About fifteen minutes after the thugs left, I heard the cars pull up, barricading the streets all around my warehouse. There were dozens of them, maybe up to a hundred, and I could feel the stomping of so many boots and people shouting orders. The ground trembled slightly I sensed the footsteps of two thirty-foot tall women stomping towards me.

The Empire Eighty-Eight was here, and they were here in force.

I took a deep breath. _Good_.

An all-out attack was pretty much the only thing left to Kaiser at this point. If he had more time, he would have spied on my warehouse, watched the deliveries, maybe tried to figure who was supporting us. He might have been able to set up an ambush. Still, he didn't have that time. He needed a victory. He needed to turn this into a battle he could win, and so he went for the no holds barred assault.

Lisa was right – angry people became predictable.

I could sense the skinheads barricading off the abandoned warehouse district, dragging the few remaining homeless out of there. There were hundreds of thugs, many clutching weapons as they set up a perimeter. There was every Empire Eighty-Eight thug in the city, and more.

I knew that Kaiser had been calling in support from white supremacists across the country, even requesting support from the Geselleschaft. He needed a victory here, and he was taking no chances. I counted nearly three hundred men storming around outside, setting up huge bonfires and chanting as if they were going to war.

Still, the thugs I could handle. It was the capes that gave me pause.

I could see both Fenja and Menja clearly. There was also Stormtiger, Cricket, Viktor, Othala, Rune, Alabaster, Night and Fog. Crusader wasn't present – he must have left with Purity, but I could sense Krieg, a cape that must have come in from Europe. I couldn't discount the possibility that he might have brought in even more capes directly, once I couldn't recognise or ones he was keeping in reserve.

But there was the man himself. My bugs spotted Kaiser in the centre of the crowd, clad in full-metal armour like a warrior king.

With such an attack, Kaiser couldn't _not_ show up to the frontlines, and that was exactly what I wanted.

So long as Kaiser had been locked up in his penthouse, he had been untouchable. We had needed to draw him out in the open for there to be shot at taking him down.

That just left me, in my warehouse, facing a siege by a literal _army_ of Nazis.

My heart was pounding. The warehouse was massively reinforced, I had an army of insects with me, and there were always the evacuated sewer tunnels in case things went badly. If they broke in, I could use the bugs to buy me time while I fled down the tunnels. I had an escape plan.

Still, I was absolutely terrified.

Kaiser was yelling to his men, rousing them up until they were stomping madly like soldiers preparing for battle. I couldn't make out the words, but he was really hyping up for a battle here. If I took one step outside, there'd be dozens of men there to rip me to shreds.

The crowd was screaming for blood as the two sets stepped forward, one clutching a sword, the other a spear, and marched towards my warehouse from the front. I could feel the ground trembling with every step. I found myself praying quietly as the two sisters lunged, slamming their weapons into the roof off my warehouse with the force of steam train.

At the same time, there was a mob rushing at my door, bricks slamming at the covered-up window. When the sword and spear lunged at the roof, I felt the impact cause the ground to shake.

But then nothing happened.

I was suddenly grinning from ear to ear.

The whole warehouse was a _cocoon_ of reinforced spider silk, supported by solid, unnaturally dense honeycomb. The giant sisters shattered the outer brick, but that was nothing. The insect hive reinforcement just absorbed the blows, flexing with every blow rather than breaking. The spider silk couldn't be pierced.

There was a mob slamming at the doors and walls, but all sides were equally reinforced. There were men bringing sledgehammers to the walls, and shotguns to the door, but it was useless. Without my command for the bugs to peel back the silk covering the entrance, it was solidly sealed shut.

I could feel Menja and Fenja kicking and thrashing against the walls, tearing off bricks and tiles, but the cocoon underneath just took it. Rune joined them, levitating huge cars and debris, and telekinetically flinging them repeatedly at the building. Any damage that they did, the bugs could repair faster than they could tear it apart.

Inside, the bugs had been driven into a frenzy by the chaos, but I held the swarm back. _Wait_ , I thought to myself. _Let's make them angry first_.

I could hear the mob yelling as they tore the bricks away to reveal the solid spider silk armour. They were screaming vulgar things at me, but I could feel the uncertainty in the crowd too.

Slowly, Kaiser approached, but he kept his distance. He was being cautious. Smart. The plan had been to push Kaiser into being reckless, but he was, somehow, still keeping his head. The mob turned to him for reassurance.

He paused for nearly ten seconds, before raising his voice. " _Burn the fucking place down!_ " Kaiser announced to triumphant roars.

They screamed, as the mob gathered up torches and cans of petrol. Men set oil drums alight, and then Fenja and Menja hoisted them up and dumped them over the roof. I felt the heat torch dozens of my bugs even inside the cocoon, but my reinforced spider silk didn't catch light so easily. It was more like Kevlar than fabric. The fuel blazed, but the silk held.

Still, the mob was relentless. I felt Kaiser approach the door, summoning blades and saws of metal to try and cleave through the building. Meanwhile, Fenja and Menja kept up with assault.

But the real danger came from the other side of the building. I realised that Kaiser must have had a backup plan almost too late as I felt my spiders respond to a slight breeze. Some of the smaller insects died as it passed.

It was Fog, transformed into gaseous form so he could phase through the wall. I almost panicked with the realisation, but I managed to keep my calm. Fog was hesitating, and it took me a few seconds to realise why; Fog couldn't _breathe_ while he was in his gas-form – the amount of time he could sustain it was fundamentally limited.

So I ordered my spiders to attack at every slight change in air density, stopping Fog from rematerializing. He was forced to retreat back through the wall. A few seconds later he tried again, this time in a different place, probing my defences. This time I held off attacking him just long enough for him to see me, to confirm I was actually inside, before driving him away. He drifted back through the wall, and a few seconds later I was aware of Kaiser getting a call on his radio. In response, Kaiser bellowed a war cry, and the whole mob redoubled their efforts.

 _Ok_ … I thought slowly, trying to keep myself from panicking. _So I'm going to have to be careful about Fog. I can still do this…_

Kaiser was making progress through the silk cocoon. My silk was bloody tough, but it wasn't impenetrable, and the massive honeycomb structure that supported it could still be broken. The mob was tearing through the outer silk, with Kaiser forming a metal frame to lever it open. Fortunately, I had built my cocoon in layers. Still, it wouldn't last forever.

 _I can do this_ , I thought firmly, focusing on preparing my army. _I can do this, I can do this…_

My eyes widened in shock as I felt movement below. There were men approaching in the tunnels, the same ones I had planned to escape through. I had needed a fast escape through those tunnels – they weren't so heavily fortified, and the group was tearing through what protection I did have easily.

Fuck! Stormtiger and Cricket, with a bunch of thugs as well. So Kaiser had a group trying to infiltrate through the sewers too. Cricket must have used her echolocation to find my tunnels, while Stormtiger was cutting his way through with ease. Hastily, I order my spiders and ants to barricade up my escape hatch. I could block the tunnels with insect bodies if I needed to, but it couldn't hold them for long.

 _Ok, I'm down one backup plan, then_ , I thought with a grimace. I was breathing deeply. _I can do this… I can do this…_

I took out my phone and hit speed dial. It was answered instantly. "We have a problem," I admitted. "We're going to have to change the plan. Stormtiger and Cricket have found my escape tunnels."

Lisa cursed under her breath. There was a mutter in the background. I could hear Brian's voice, his tone warning, but couldn't make out the words. "On a scale of one to ten…" Lisa said finally, speaking back into the phone. "… How bad is it?"

Dust splattered everywhere as an impact caused the floor to tremble. My hands were trembling so badly I could hardly hold the phone straight. _Ten_ , I thought with panic, _solid ten – oh-god-they're-tearing-the-building-down-to-murder-me ten_.

"Hm… maybe a four," I said instead, my voice several pitches higher than normal. There was a tremendous explosion outside. "... Possibly a five."

"Well, we're right outside now. We need to change positions, but just hold on," Lisa reassured.

"No rush," I said tautly, before hanging up. I took a deep breath, and tried to focus myself. Around me, the massive swarm moved into position. I mentally sifted through the bugs and assigned tasks – it was easier than thinking about my own mortal peril.

With a gulp, I slowly walked back towards my living quarters, bent down, and crawled underneath the table, bracing myself for impact. Kaiser was nearly through the second layer of the cocoon, using metal spikes to lever the spider silk apart. Just one more layer to go before he was through the silk and he reached the honeycomb…

Slowly, I thought back on all of those different bugs. Sometimes, it was quite surprising how the most mundane insects could turn out to be the most useful.

I mean, I valued the spiders for their silk, the scorpions for their venom, and the ants for their armies. The hornets were terrifyingly efficient, the beetles were proving surprisingly strong, but it had turned out to be the _bees_ that had proved one of the most fascinating.

For example, people just didn't really appreciate the complexity that went into making honey. For bees to harvest nectar from so many different types of plants, ferment it into glucose, and then regurgitate it with such efficiency. There was a whole complex process that went into something so common.

I most certainly hadn't appreciated the complexity, not until I started to wonder… 'Hmm… do you think I might be able to get bees to produce something _other_ than honey?'

It had taken a bit of internet searching, a long chat with a chemistry teacher, and a _lot_ of trial and error before I discovered the answer. It turned out that the process of forming one organic hydrocarbon was pretty much identical as the process of forming another organic hydrocarbon.

And so for the last week I had reprogrammed my beehives to produce nitro-glycerine instead.

Carefully, I brought my fingers up and placed them in my ears. I ordered the bulk of swarm to hide under the floorboards, while carefully watching Kaiser's progress. He was nearly through the final layer of spider silk. And the mob was still using Molotov cocktails…

I forced a smirk as I lowered my body to the ground, bracing for impact…

… _Come and get me_ …


	4. Mutation 04

**Mutation 1.04**

I could feel the walls closing in on me as the mob drew closer. I was left crouching underneath a table, breathing with panic while surrounded by all sides. I felt completely and utterly trapped.

And yet, strangely, I had never felt stronger.

I could see my bugs so clearly like they were all chess pieces on some immensely giant board. There were millions of them, yet I could keep track of every single one. Every single bug in a four block radius twitched and moved with perfect coordination.

The mob was tearing their way through. With a triumphant roar from the crowd, Kaiser's metal spikes tore through the honeycomb, breaking the cocoon enough for the thugs to rush in. The skinheads were screaming like barbarian invaders as they charged into the lair with guns and baseball bats.

 _Horror movie tactic_ s, I recalled Lisa mentioning.

Let's give them something to be scared about.

 _First, hinder their movements_. A group of spiders flanking the breach pulled their webs taut, forming a silk tripwire just at ankle height. The thugs at the front stumbled, only for the ones behind to fall to the ground as well. In the dark and cramped space, the men ran into each other and toppled with ease.

 _Then, catch them off guard_. A swarm of flies burst from the ceiling, charging madly into the crowd. They were just flies, nothing dangerous, but enough to send the men to panic.

Kaiser didn't twitch – he was clad in skin-tight metal armour such that not even an insect could touch his bare skin, using his power to allow him to move at the joints. Without pause, he ordered four men around to throw their Molotov cocktails that they had been keeping in reserve.

 _Now for the game changer_. With a simple thought, my spiders released the support threads on precise parts of the outer cocoon, letting the heavy silk drop to reveal the bare honeycomb. With a roar, heavy silk sheets were suddenly dropped onto the crowd, and as soon as the Molotov cocktails flung through the air, there was a mass of flies and moths there to redirect the flaming bottles, knocking them straight into the exposed honeycomb.

The explosive beehives were scattered around the honeycomb on the outside. The bees stored the unstable nitro-glycerine in a mucus wax, forming what was essentially a layer of dynamite around my cocoon. Extremely pure and high yield dynamite. The wax was quite resistant, but as the wax started to melt away…

The charges were shaped outwards for maximum effect. Honestly, I hadn't quite been sure what sort of explosion to expect. I figured even just a flash to cause enough a distraction would be enough.

In a second, I realised how wrong I was.

I had massively underestimated just how powerful all of those explosives really were.

The cocoon exploded. Even with all the blast going outwards, and a firm layer of reinforced spider silk and honeycomb protecting me, the shockwave still sent my head spinning. It felt like my teeth was going to shatter as suddenly my living quarters were pulverised by the blast of air.

 _I_ had _intended to be in my escape tunnels when that went off_ , I thought weakly.

Outside it was so, so much worse.

Fenja and Menja were the biggest targets, they took the full blast. The force was enough to send the giant sisters physically lifting off the ground and flying backwards. One of them was sent hurling backwards and splashing violently straight into the murky dock water.

The Empire Eighty-Eight was sent reeling. The flames and most of the blast went upwards, but the shockwave was still devastating. The sound alone was enough to shatter eardrums. In an instant, there were dozens of men suffering severe concussion, while others were sent knocked backwards, lifting off the ground with pure force of impact.

Kaiser, still by the front of the entrance, was the only one still standing up thanks to that metal suit of his. Still, he stood like statue, as that suit held him firm.

I was gasping for breath as the smoke went everywhere. My head was spinning, but my powers forced me to focus. While everyone was still reeling, I needed the final phase of the plan:

 _Release hell_.

My cocoon was split open. In an instant, every single bug I had was unleashed. For the Empire Eighty-Eight, the tidal wave of black roaring towards them was something like out of an apocalypse movie.

No time to be soft. A couple of thugs tried throwing cans of bug spray. They might as well have been trying to use sponges to soak up the ocean.

In my mind's eye, it was like cavalry charge. I had the disposable bugs, the flies, the moths, at the front of the wave, but then there were heavy duty ones close behind. The hornets and bees went ahead straight for the capes, leaving the thugs to mopped up by the giant beetles and centipedes. I kept the spiders and the scorpions towards the back in reserve, while suddenly from the other side of the battlefield, armies of ants burst out of the sewers to cut off any escape.

The Empire Eighty-Eight was slow to react. One of the sisters, Fenja, I think, recovered upwards and raised her shield as if to squash the ocean of bugs, but then her leg twitched and she stumbled backwards, crashing onto her own men.

I glanced just to see Regent at the far side of the street, using his power to make her trip. I only saw him for a second before Grue's darkness made a chunk of the battlefield disappear. The Undersiders joined the battle from the rear.

It was complete pandemonium. I could feel men thrashing and roaring with panic as they struggled and failed to fight off giant centipedes wrapping around them. There were screams that sounded like men were being flayed alive. Too many screams, in fact, and too loud.

I realised quickly that that was Tattletale's work – she had set up a large scale surround sound system around my warehouses, and she must be blasting continuous pre-recorded screams cut from horror movies at deafening levels. The screams increased the confusion and chaos tenfold.

Overall, if I had to imagine a scene of complete and utter horror and devastation, it wouldn't have even came close to what was happening outside.

Men were running for their lives. Patches of darkness were separating the gang, forcing them to panic as the insects cut them off. Nobody knew what to do and they were all running scared.

 _I needed to move_ , I realised suddenly. There was a very limited window of opportunity here. The panic could only last for so long. As soon as they got organised again, I'd be in trouble.

Kaiser had wanted to cut me off from escaping, by surrounding me with numbers. I had to make that plan backfire – right now his capes were just too spread out to come to his help.

I ran through the tally quickly in my head – Fenja and Menja were down, Rune was being swarmed by insects. Night and Fog were at the opposite side of the warehouse so they'd be slow to react, while Stormtiger and Cricket were in the tunnels and wouldn't get here in time. Victor was on the opposite building with a sniper rifle to try and cut me down, but blind by the bugs, and Othala was with him in reserve. Krieg was trying to secure the perimeter, and I wasn't so sure about Alabaster, but I could handle that.

The key bit was that, right now, Kaiser was standing in front of my warehouse, totally alone while the rest of his men ran for their lives amidst a swarm of insects.

 _I can take him_ , I thought firmly, pulling myself off the ground. _I_ need _to take him_.

At once, my bugs shifted and swarmed Kaiser as a singular mass. I had been hoping for any sort of gap in his armour I could fit a poisonous spider through, but there was none, not even for his eyes. I wondered briefly how he could possibly see, but then I realised that he must have sealed up the eye sockets on his helmet as soon as the swarm hit him.

Bugs were left biting uselessly at metal. I couldn't break the armour. _Then I could make him suffocate in there_ , I thought firmly, piling up the bugs even more until he disappeared under the solid mass of insects.

But I had to move. I was totally vulnerable now and the last thing I wanted was to face another cape directly. I gathered up every single bug I had left to flank me, as I charged out of the warehouse as fast as possible.

With a thought, dozens of large circular objects rose up behind me, supported by nets of web and swarms of bees. The bees shot forward like bomber planes, and there were explosions that cleared my path through the remaining E88.

 _Explosive beehives_ , I thought with satisfaction, as I charged through the door and sprinted for it. The beehives spiraled around me, shooting towards any cluster of men that even tried to stop me.

One man tried to raise a shotgun towards me, but was left screaming as a giant centipede wrapped itself around his torso and tried to crawl down his throat.

 _The damage was more psychological than physical_ , I thought to myself as I ran. _I hope_.

Suddenly, a solid metal dumpster slammed towards me towards me at breakneck speed, and I barely managed to dive out of the war, even with insects giving early warning. I glimpsed Rune flying above me, with cars and debris circling around her as she tried to fight of the swarm of wasps and hornets chasing after her. Sabrina the teenage Nazi sent a car slamming towards me, but I dived out the way and replied with a black smokescreen of flies that hid my movements as I ran.

The Empire Eighty-Eight was in no position to stop me. I sensed Fog approaching quickly, slaughtering bugs as he went, but in the chaos I managed to slip away. Next to him, there was Night, pacing around the battlefield as she tried to find some enemy to engage. I wanted to be well away from both of them before they had the chance.

I reached the edge of an alleyway leading away from my warehouse, when suddenly I felt my insects die behind me. I dropped to the floor instinctively, just as metal blades spun furiously to where my head had been.

 _Damn it!_ Kaiser managed to shrug of the pile of insects long enough to notice me.

Through the eyes of the swarm, I suddenly sensed Kaiser lashing metal nets like giant fly swatters around him, and generating metal spears that lunged straight for me. He morphed his metal helmet just long enough to give him a glimpse of where I was at, and then closed the eyeholes again before any bugs could get to his eyes.

There wasn't even time to curse as I jumped to my feet and bolted for my life. I formed five bug decoys behind me to distract him, but Kaiser's metal blades cut through all of in an instant.

I could run for my life, moving away from the rest of the fighting as heavy metal footsteps chased after me. I needed to get away from Kaiser, but the man was persistent.

Vaguely, I remembered the last time I saw Kaiser fight, during the combined assault against the ABB, when he had cut through the gang members viciously and tore chunks of flesh out with ease. My heart was pounding like a drum as I realised he was still chasing after me.

I sent bugs charging at him, to slow him down or even just obscure his vision, but he kept on coming. I turned the corner and sprinted down the alleyway, but suddenly a barricade of metal thorns burst from the ground. I could feel the metal blades collide against my suit. Thankfully it didn't penetrate the silk, but the impact felt like a punch to the gut.

I couldn't even see Kaiser under the swarm of bugs, but he didn't stop lashing out with metal spikes and barbed edges that sprouted across the walls like deadly thorns. I had to dive into a corner as a metal barb came inches away from my face.

 _How can he see me?_ I thought with pure panic, before I realised. Kaiser couldn't see a thing – he was trapped in a metal suit to keep the bugs out. He was just lashing out blindly with his power, but the alley was narrow enough that he still stood a pretty good chance at skewering me.

Kaiser stepped closer, summoning more and more thorns. I gasped as the thorns crept closer, pulling myself into the corner. There was nowhere to run, and Kaiser, even blind, was methodically cutting down the amount space I could hide in…

The idea came quickly. Gathering up my swarm, I spoke through my bugs and generated my voice directly behind Kaiser. "What's the matter, metal boy?" My bugs taunted loudly. "You look a bit annoyed."

At once Kaiser spun around and lashed out with metal blades directly behind him. I sighed in relief as he turned away from me. He didn't know that I could speak through the swarm. If he heard my voice behind him, then he would think I was behind and it would buy me time.

I could see Kaiser hesitating, unsure. The metal blades spread out, trying to cut off escape from both ends of the alley, while the barbs slashed blindly. Mentally, he must be trying to picture absolutely every place I could be hiding.

I needed to lure him away. Let him think I already escaped. "Is this about that shower incident?" I taunted, moving my voice gradually further away. "Oh, or it's about the head lice? In fact tell me, how _are_ those bed bugs feeling?"

He followed the sound, lunging with metal spears that appeared at will. I breathed a sigh of relief with every step he took, as I carefully pulled myself off the ground and tried to think of someway of escaping. The metal barbs blocking my path were absolutely lethal, but maybe I could climb over –

At once, Kaiser stopped. He hesitated, and then turned around and summoned a thorn of metal barbs barely five feet away from me. I had to gasp as I was once again forced back against the wall.

 _Damn it!_ I cursed. _Does he have some sort of sensing power too? Or did he just realise that my taunts were a bit too obvious? He might have realised there was a possibility that I could speak through bugs, and I was trying to play him._

He's a smart bastard, I'll give him that.

We were trapped in a narrow alley, barely five metres across. No way out, walls too high to climb. The air was so dense with bugs that he wouldn't be able to see me even without the metal armour, while I couldn't hurt him so long as he was covered in metal. I couldn't escape either with his metal barbs blocking the way.

We were trapped – with him slashing blindly while I hid uselessly.

My mind reeled and my heart pounded. Any moment now, he might get lucky and skewer me with a metal spike. There were only so many places I could be hiding. It was like the most intense, life-or-death game of battleship.

 _But_ … I thought suddenly, as I thought about it from his position, _things weren't so good for him either_. How long had he been trapped in that metal suit? How much oxygen was left in that suit anyways? My bugs were all over him – I knew there wasn't an air gap. All I needed was _one_ small gap to get something poisonous to his skin, and I could have him.

Kaiser had no way of knowing for sure whether I was still trapped in the alley, or if I was already dead. As soon as he released that metal armour, I would have him. I had hornets ready in all positions to shove down his throat at a moment's notice.

But what if Kaiser's reinforcements found us before then? Who would get here first, the Undersiders or the Empire Eighty-Eight?

I was all out of the explosive beehives, but, even if I wasn't, Kaiser's suit had protected him the last time, and there was no reason to think it would be any different this time. The more I looked, I realised that Kaiser's armour must be at least an inch thick – it made his body look stocky even without the swarm of bugs covering him. It was like he was wearing a tank's armour plating that moved with his skin – no wonder I couldn't hurt him…

Another barb came too close for comfort. I gulped in panic.

 _Was that my play?_ Just wait until Kaiser was forced to relent or suffocate? What if he used those bug swatters again to try and get even a gulp of fresh air? How long could this last?

I was gasping for breath now. Every second was one that might kill me.

There was so much chaos it was hard to tell how the rest of the battle was going. Hell, it was hard to tell if there even _was_ a battle. The Undersiders were proving enough of a distraction that the capes were rushing past Kaiser and I in the alley to try and join the fight (or even the _find_ the fight thanks to Grue's darkness), and my bugs were still hounding everyone present.

Still, the Undersiders' advantage would wear off shortly as the big hitters managed to recover, and if I wasn't out of this alley by the time the Undersiders had to retreat…

I summoned the biggest insects I had to come towards me, spiders in particular. I needed some sort of spider silk net to let me climb up out of the alley.

 _How many bees and beetles would it take to bodily lift me into the air?_ I wondered.

Kaiser took another step towards me, and I heard a clank. My eyes widened.

Right underneath Kaiser's feet, there was a manhole cover. _Leading straight into the sewers_ , I realised. Instantly, I redirected whatever bugs I had below ground to try and come towards me. If I could only reach the manhole cover then I had a way out…

I watched with bated breath as slowly Kaiser took another step forward. My hands were shaking as I crept towards him, crawling on my belly across the ground to avoid the barbs as I tried to reach the manhole. I had my knife in hand to peel it open…

I was barely three foot away. Kaiser was standing right next to me, but stumbling in the dark. Every step he took was absolutely nerve-wracking…

My knife reached the edge metal plate, gingerly levering it up like a crowbar. The relief flooded my system.

I was still feeling relief right up until the moment the metal cover clanked loudly against the pavement. Kaiser span around instantly with the noise.

There wasn't even time for me to scream as I felt the metal spike burst underneath me, stabbing straight into my stomach.

"Got you." Kaiser's voice reverberated from inside his metal suit. The two words were absolutely terrifyingly cold.

My costume held against the spike, but the force felt like it was about to break my spine. I was sent knocking upwards off the ground, unable to breathe. The pain shot through my body, but the next thing I knew, there was an iron hand gripping at my throat.

Kaiser was on top of me, pinning me to the ground, while his hand was at my throat. It felt like a there was a steel girder choking me to death.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't move.

I tried to thrash, but he didn't even seem to notice. His metal armour must have weighted a ton.

Even over the sound of blood rushing through my brains, I could still hear his grinding voice. "You have caused me a lot of trouble," he muttered coldly, the viciousness seeping through each syllable.

My brain screamed for oxygen. I couldn't think. My body convulsed. Around me, the insects roared in frenzy, but… but….

Too much. Need. Air.

I tried to scream. Couldn't.

I could feel him choking the life out of me.

The convulsions became weaker, more sporadic.

The last mental image I had was how a spider's body would twitch for a bit even after you stamped on it…

I felt my sight darken. My body went numb…

"Guess you're not so tough in a fair fight," Kaiser snarled. I only briefly glimpsed a black shape skittering on the roof behind him. Everything went black.

…and then suddenly I was watching the fight straight through the eyes of a thousand bugs.

I couldn't feel my body anymore, but I didn't care.

In an instant, I wasn't controlling the swarm anymore.

I _was_ the swarm.

" ** _And how would you know?_** " The swarm roared, the words echoing around the alley. A pure bulk of insects hit Kaiser like a truck dropping out of the air. The bugs at the front of swarm were crushed under pressure of the ones behind, but the pure mass was enough to throw Kaiser off-balance.

In an instant, Kaiser's body convulsed as a large shape dropped straight onto his metal helmet, legs wrapping around his head.

The monstrous spider tightened around Kaiser's skull, hugging his face as unnaturally large fangs jabbed straight towards where Kaiser's eyes would be on the metal skull. For a moment, the fangs bounced off the metal plate, but then, slowly, they started to pierce through.

I could hear Kaiser's screams reverberating like a bell in his armour as he left was staring at monstrously large fangs jabbing barely centimetre away from his eyeball.

The giant spider, hyped up on growth hormones and muscle enhancements, had teeth strong enough to pierce through metal.

 _Maybe not so useless after all_ , I thought with shock.

Kaiser lashed out with his arms, barely able to throw the monster of a spider off his head, but then he was hit by a dozen of the spider's brood. The mutant spiders leapt onto Kaiser ruthlessly, even despite a dozen metal barbs skewering many of them.

The weight alone forced Kaiser to stumble backwards.

My body jerked into life and suddenly I could feel my heart racing again.

I gasped with relief as I felt the life rush back into my body. I was gasping for breath, my lungs still screaming in pain. Everything was screaming in pain, but my powers were working on autopilot. Without even thinking about, a whole swarm of mutant insects slammed into Kaiser with a renewed assault.

Kaiser lashed out madly, falling into panic as he suddenly felt spider fangs and giant hornet barbs grinding dangerously against his metal armour. He skewered the giant bugs one by one, but I was already bringing more and more in.

He was left slashing blindly at horde of insects, all the while he didn't even notice the silk being threaded around him. I had large spiders circling him, while smaller ones crawled around the barbs covering his armour, all of them threading as much silk as possible.

Within thirty seconds, Kaiser was entangled by the net of super strong silk, thick white threads latching around the metal spikes and becoming more and more cocooned with every barb.

I was still gasping for air, nursing my bruised throat, but my vision cleared just enough as I saw Kaiser being enveloped by so many bugs, all of them taking position.

Without even realising I had a plan, I gave the order for the spiders to start _pulling_.

At once, every spider gripped their thread and tugged.

The first lurch was barely noticeable for Kaiser. Then, more and more insects took formation, applying steady pressure, and Kaiser started to stagger. Nets were still forming, while giant hornets gripped the threads and started to pull as well. A whole swarm of insects buzzed and skittered as it started pulling him backwards.

It was only when Kaiser's body began to topple backwards that he must have realised how much trouble he was in.

Barbs of metal attempted to cut the silk, but by now I had spiders repairing it faster than he could damage it. For every bug that died in the onslaught of metal, I had a dozen more take its place. Kaiser sprouted metal poles from the ground to try and hold onto, but then there were giant centipedes and beetles attempting to physically push his footing away.

I could see the tension in the silk threads as they were pulled taut. I could see Kaiser's body shaking unsteadily. For a second, nothing happened and Kaiser managed to resist the bugs dragging him away.

But then I stood up, approached him, and hacked at Kaiser's metal helmet repeatedly using my knife. The crown of metal barbs sparked as Kaiser went toppling downwards.

As soon as Kaiser lost his footing, he lost all hope as the spiders enveloped him and dragged him bodily across the ground.

Kaiser was screaming madly as the bugs pulled him straight into the open manhole cover and let him drop into the sewers. He hit the bottom of sewers with a dull clank, and then suddenly there was a horde of giant spiders skittering into the sewers after him.

I was left standing in the alley, still panting weakly, as I cradled my raw throat. I hesitated for a second, before clambering into the sewer as well.

xxxxxxxxxxx

When Kaiser regained consciousness, he was hanging, upside down, directly over the central drain in the Brockton Bay water treatment plant. His whole body was wrapped up tightly in a silk cocoon that hung from the ceiling, suspending him over a fifty foot drop into pitch black water.

I could tell the moment he woke up because his screams were even louder than that of the waterfall surrounding him. He tried to thrash and struggle, but the cocoon was so tight he could barely move.

About three minutes later, he stopped thrashing because he realised what would happen if he actually managed to escape from the silk. It was a _long_ way down.

It had taken us nearly three hours to peel Kaiser from his metal suit, and another two to drag him to the water treatment plant and for my spiders to build the cocoon. We were lucky that we had enough sedatives. Still, when I heard that tremble of pure and utter fear in his voice, I knew it was worth it.

According to Tattletale's power, Kaiser relied on solid surfaces from which to generate his metal. When he was suspended in the cocoon, he was left absolutely helpless.

No armour, no pretence, no power left.

For a man like Kaiser, a man that lived to be in control, that must be the worst possible fate.

I could hear his frenzied panting and gasping as he realised how much trouble he was really in. I stood on the gangway over the waterfall, watching him quietly for about ten minutes.

"Skitter!" Kaiser screamed finally, struggling to even breathe properly through panic. "Skitter! I know you're there! Answer me damn it!"

I paused for about thirty painful seconds. "I'm here," I replied, my voice still hoarse after being strangled.

Kaiser gulped. "You don't want to do this!" He screamed. "We can come to some arrangement! Let me out of here!"

I didn't reply. I let the silence sink in a little bit more. His voice became even more desperate. "My men will be looking for me!" He roared. "You don't want a war like that. Release me now before it's too late!"

Still, I didn't reply. I needed time to think. The lack of a response was like torture to him. "If _anything_ happens to me!" He said threateningly. "The Geselleschaft will demand blood! There _will_ be retribution!"

No response. I could hear him gulp. "You can't kill me!" He said, his voice almost pleadingly. "You can't…"

I thought about replying, but decided against it. The minutes ticked by slowly.

Kaiser's cocoon squirmed. "Please…" he muttered, barely even audible over the sound of the water. "…Don't do this… Please… I have a son… and a daughter…"

"I know," I said eventually, slowly reaching a conclusion. "And they'll both be better off without you."

With that, I turned and walked away. My footsteps on the metal walkway echoed in the chamber. Kaiser tried to twist his head, squinting through the darkness.

"No!" Kaiser roared. "No! _Don't kill me, you can't!_ "

I sighed. "I'm _not_ going to kill you," I shouted back. _Although you might wish that I had_ , I added to myself.

There was a figure waiting patiently at the end of the walkway, a smirk on his face. "He's all yours," I murmured simply. I was too tired to care anymore. I thought long and hard about objecting, but eventually I just figured that Kaiser wasn't worth it.

"Thank you," Regent replied cheerfully, strolling down the walkway. He grinned brightly as he approached Kaiser. I had never seen a smile so frightening.

"Hello there K-man!" Regent said happily. "How's it hanging?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, I watched through my bugs as Kaiser strolled into his office, greeted his secretary pleasantly, and then sat down at his desk.

Both Victor and Menja came to see how he was. Kaiser explained, disappointedly, how he tried to chase after the Undersiders but lost them in the sewers. Then, he said that they had to consolidate their forces if they wanted to win this war, and he ordered Victor to bring him a full report about the Empire's remaining operations.

After that, Kaiser walked back into his office and locked the door. He sat down at his computer and stared at the screen. It took him a few attempts to get the password.

I watched all of this while sitting in a café next to Lisa and Alec. Alec hadn't stopped smirking all day. Lisa provided Alec with a set of instructions, and Kaiser did them.

Firstly, bank accounts. With a bit of aid from Lisa's power, we provided the passwords and helped fill in the details, while Kaiser logged into the Empire Eighty-Eight accounts and started moving money around. Then, he phoned up his accountants and told them to move all of his off-shore accounts too.

All of Kaiser's stock, property ownerships, and business contracts were similarly transferred.

After that, Kaiser contacted his friends in the Geselleschaft and requested quite a large loan. Then, he contacted his white supremacist friends across the country and requested a few more loans. He phoned up his business advisor and requested a loan from the bank.

It took nearly six hours, but Kaiser worked his way through. He even dipped into the pay checks and pension funds of the Empire Eighty-Eight and all their subsidiary companies.

Then, Kaiser took a trip down to the bank and cleared out his safety deposit boxes, and all of his private finances. All private bank statements and important legal documents went into the same duffel bags. He dropped everything at our table, smiled, and then walked away without a word.

Alec burst out laughing around about that time.

By that time, the day was already winding down. As Kaiser worked through Lisa's list, eventually it reached the point where he made a copy of the contents of his hard drive, and emailed it all to the PRT.

He also sent a few emails to local and national news outlets, detailing both his secret identity and the identity of all of his subordinates, along with a complete list of all his crimes to date.

Likewise, all of the activities of the Geselleschaft, all of the private mercenaries and assassins he had ever used, all his business contacts – in fact, pretty much every illegal thing he had ever done, heard about or been associated with and then some – it was all posted online.

It took only five minutes for his phone to start ringing quite urgently. Kaiser ignored all the calls.

He did, however, make a few calls of his own. He phoned up all of his neo-Nazi friends and admitted that he fucked their wives.

I kicked Alec firmly under the table at that one, but Alec just smirked.

By the end of it, in the span of a few hours, Kaiser had just become the most wanted, hated man in the criminal underground. He had just embezzled a huge sum of money from the Geselleschaft and then completely compromised a large portion of their terrorist operations. There would be men in Europe having fits and running around scared as soon as the information filtered through to the relevant authorities.

Even if he couldn't move even twitch his face, I would have sworn that there were tears rolling down his cheeks as he turned the lights off and locked up the office for the night.

 _I just watched a man give away his whole Empire – absolutely everything he had spent his life working for, burn every bridge, forced to helplessly watch as everything he ever treasured was thrown away_.

The entire house of cards was knocked down and then set alight.

I almost felt sorry for Kaiser. Almost.

I still wasn't sure which would have been the kinder option – _this_ , or simply murdering him.

Instead, Alec forced Kaiser's body to walk into the bathroom, and stare firmly into the mirror. Kaiser generated a metal knife, and then held the blade millimetres away from his eyeball, unable to flinch. Kaiser's eyes had the glaze of that of a dead man.

"You know what's going to happen now," Kaiser said slowly, speaking to his reflection even though the words weren't his own. "You've been _marked_. You've got nothing left. No money, no power, no Empire. Your enemies will try to kill you. Your 'friends' will try to kill you harder."

 _He was definitely crying_ , I thought softly. Even if Kaiser was unable to whimper, he was still crying. " _We_ will try to kill you," Regent continued, speaking through Kaiser's voice. "If you ever set foot in Brockton Bay again, I'll know about it, and I'll make you kill yourself."

There was a pause. "In fact, scratch that," Regent continued. "I won't kill you. Instead, I'll just _use_ you. Like this, forever. Do you understand? You can nod or shake your head."

With a gulp, Kaiser nodded slowly. "Good," Regent continued, speaking through Kaiser's mouth again. "Now, then you've only got one chance here if you want to live. You disappear, right now, tonight, forever. Nobody ever sees your face, nobody ever hears your name. You don't talk anyone, _you are never noticed again_. We both know that, after tonight, the whole world will try to kill you."

Kaiser's lips twisted upwards into a smile. "Enjoy the rest of your life," Regent said in a farewell. Kaiser's body lurched, and suddenly he was trembling again. I watched as Regent's control disappeared, and Kaiser slowly crumpled to the ground.

The sight of a man that had literally lost absolutely everything… it was so disheartening that I had to tear myself away from looking.

I had told myself that I refused to feel sorry for Kaiser, but I still couldn't help feeling a little twinge of pity.

I forced myself back to the café, and I scowled as I watched Alec drinking his soda cheerfully.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" I muttered coldly, nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Little bit," Alec admitted with a shameless grin.

"You just ruined a man's life in the worst possible way and sentenced him to die."

"Yep." Alec shrugged. "But on the bright side, we're now all millionaires and we own this city."


	5. Interlude: Gallant

**1.a Interlude: Gallant**

 _Well... Welcome home, I guess_.

It was a rather bleak morning as the helicopter buzzed over Brockton Bay, towards the PRT building. If a normal person looked out the window, they would see only dull grey buildings and a wispy white fog. Still, as Dean stared, he could see a shimmering highlight of colour, so thick that seemed to illuminate the whole city.

 _People were scared_ , Dean thought slowly. Scared, angry and panicked. At this distance, he couldn't make out any detail, but instead all of the colours of emotions just blurred together into a giant shimmering halo.

Dean groaned as he lay back in his seat, rubbing his throbbing head. There were times when being an empath was bloody hard.

When talking about his powers, he often compared emotions to the standard colours. Fear was a kind of yellow-y tinge, anger was red, hope was a light blue and so on, but the truth was completely different. It was fairer to say that all of the emotions were their own light – and it was impossible to describe in the same way you couldn't describe colour to the blind. Everywhere Dean went, he felt like he was only fully-sighted man living in a world of the colour-blind.

And sometimes that light was blinding.

Like when Leviathan attacked. Truth be told, Dean had been very, very lucky to survive that night. If it wasn't for a nearby cape swooping him out of the waves, he probably wouldn't have made it. It hadn't even been Leviathan that had almost killed him. Rather, it had been the whole atmosphere.

There had been so, so much pure, raw terror in the air that it had left Dean almost incapacitated. It was more than just seeing emotions, Dean could _feel_ all those emotions as well, and in a city filled with pure life-or-death dread it had just been too much to handle. Even now, a week later, and Dean was still suffering a severe migraine from the experience.

For the first time ever since he drank that vial, Dean was beginning to absolutely despise his own powers.

The whole week had been one exhausting emotional rollercoaster after another. Even after the life-or-death terror of an Endbringer attack, it was the grief of all of those in mourning, the pain of all the injured, stacked alongside the general anxiety over all those people left homeless and lost. It had been more than just one fight – it had been the strain of trying to pick up the pieces, trying to look after all of those refugees, all the while just trying to keep on going despite the pain and the loss.

And Dean had felt it all.

Being an empath _sucked_.

He had hoped that as soon as he got back into Brockton Bay that things would get better. As he approached the PRT building, Dean realised quickly how wrong he had been in. The whole building felt like it was in a state of pure panic.

Dean sighed as he tightened up his costume. His Gallant powersuit had been tattered after the fight, so he was left wearing mix-and-match pieces of dull-grey standard issue armour with his old mask. He barely felt like Gallant anymore.

Still, he thanked the pilot appreciatively, and walked down onto the helicopter pad. He waited patiently as the stressed out secretary tried to process him, and he smiled politely as, half an hour later, someone rushed out to grab him.

As they walked towards the Wards' Headquarters, Gallant trembled as he felt an aura so dark it was borderline suicidal, so Gallant excused himself to the toilets, where he went to reassure a young administrative worker who was panicking frantically over losing contact with her sister in Boston. Gallant gently handed the woman a card for an Endbringer support group, and he tried to promise her that things would get better.

And that was the absolute _worst_ thing about being an empath, Dean thought with a grimace. He was left emotionally incapable of being anything other than a nice guy.

"Gallant." A voice called wearily from down the corridor. He turned to see Clockblocker walking towards him, hands shaking wearily. Clockblocker's aura was like swirling dark grey; mixed with exhaustion and worry, while tinged with black grief. "You're here. How's your shoulder?"

Any other time, the friends would have greeted each other cheerfully. They hadn't seen each other for four days, ever since Clockblocker left to try and reinforce a crumbling sea defence with his power, and Gallant was left behind recuperating and looking after refugees.

"It's all better," Gallant lied. He'd been hit by a glancing blow from Leviathan's water echo, one that had still shattered his right collarbone and he had almost drowned as he was left paralysed in the waves. Then he had been rescued, and Panacea had patched him up, but the pain was still intense and his arm hadn't been quite the same.

Gallant tried not to think that maybe Panacea might have deliberately not cured him completely. It would cause more trouble than it was worth if he ever made that accusation.

He could tell Clockblocker didn't believe him. "What's happening here?" Gallant asked instead, glancing around the tense corridor. "This place looks like Defcon 1."

It was hard to tell with his clock-face mask, but Clockblocker grimaced. "It's bad. I just got back an hour ago after the city declared a state of emergency." All of the superheroes had been scattered trying to handle the Boston fallout. No one even thought what affect the sudden lack of heroes might have on the city. "Gang war – between the Empire Eighty-Eight and the _Undersiders_ , if you can believe it."

They walked quickly towards the secure zone, heading into the Wards' elevator. Gallant blinked. "The Undersiders?" Gallant muttered in confusion. One of the biggest criminal empires on the East Coast versus a C-rank gang of small-time crooks?

"Yep," Clockblocker muttered grimly. "And here's the thing – the Empire Eighty-Eight just got curb-stomped so badly that we're going to have to come up with a whole new adjective to describe it."

The elevator came to a ping at their floor. Clockblocker paused. "My vote is on 'Skittered'," he said finally. "As in, the Empire Eighty-Eight just got _Skittered_."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The whole city was in frenzy with news of the battle at the docks. There had been two hundred and fifty-four Empire Eighty-Eight members launching an all-out assault against the Undersiders. Very few of them managed to walk away.

The hospitals were overwhelmed. The scene was that of a warzone – covered in flaming debris and craters, with men screaming in pain and dead bugs scattered everywhere.

Even before the media could pick up on it, the news rippled had rippled through the city; the Empire Eighty-Eight had declared war on bugs, and the bugs had won.

Clockblocker and Gallant rushed towards the fallout, but there was little they could do. They got there early morning after the night, but it was still in absolute pandemonium. Clockblocker used his power to stabilise a few critically injured until the hospitals had time to take them, but otherwise they were both just left watching as medics and doctors tried to rush the gang members to safety.

Among the injuries, there were severe concussions, broken bones, third degree burns, and more bug bites than it was even possible to keep count off. The first responders to the scene had estimated a death count of over fifty. As the day hurried by, that number slowly filtered down. Eventually, it came down to nine.

Nine E88 men had died – those too close to the explosion, or those hit by the debris. Still, there was five times that number left in intensive care, struggling to survive. If Panacea hadn't managed to get on the scene so quickly, the death toll probably would have been closer to the initial figure.

"Jesus Christ," Clockblocker muttered, glancing around the devastated warehouse district. There was barely a warehouse left. The hollow cocoon of blackened silk looked like something out of a horror movie. " _Skitter did this?_ "

 _We've been away from this city for too long_ , Gallant thought darkly. Things had already gone to hell in less than two weeks. _To think I hoped there'd be time to grieve and recover_ …

"Apparently," Gallant muttered. Director Piggot had wanted the Wards on the scene straight away as a show of force. Instead, their presence just served as a painful reminder of just how few of the Brockton Bay Wards had actually made it out of Boston.

Three. The very thought made Gallant's stomach twinge. _There are only three of us left now_.

Boston had been a hellhole they were all still trying to come to terms with.

It had been going well at first. Remarkably well, in fact. They had recruited the supervillain Accord to organise the evacuation, and it ended up being the most efficient city-wide evacuation in history. The civilian population had been cleared, while the capes set up defensive perimeters in order to wear Leviathan out and push him back. The aim had been for low casualties rather than a quick battle.

That had all changed as soon as that _thing_ was unearthed. Suddenly, the capes had been facing two monsters – one from the front, one from behind. The ranks were broken and so, so many were torn apart.

Aegis had died first – he ended up smeared by Leviathan so hard there wasn't even anything left to recover in the waves. It had been that stab of emotion right before his death that had incapacitated Gallant.

Browbeat had been whipped by Leviathan's tall. The hero had tried to block the tail with his telekinesis, but the blow still sent him flying nearly half a mile through a building.

Honestly, Gallant didn't even know what happened to Kid Win. The Tinker just seemed to disappear in the chaos. Later, when Gallant awoke, Kid Win was listed as the confirmed dead. Gallant had felt so hollow by that point it had barely even registered.

Vista shouldn't have even been there, but she had forged her parent's signatures and went along anyways. She had been in the flanks, right in the line of fire as that monster parahuman appeared. Vista _had_ survived, but she had ended up with radiation poisoning so severe that not even Panacea could cure it properly. The last Gallant heard, Vista was still in an intensive care hospital, being treated for extreme acute radiation syndrome.

The really horrifying thought was that Gallant had seen Vista's clones on the battlefield. Through his emotional radar, the clones had felt like they were in pure, unending agony as they tried to rip the crowd apart. He could even swear that the clones had lit up as they saw him, so Vista-like even despite their minds warped and twisted into abominations…

Gallant hadn't been sleeping after that night at all.

But, now, that just left the three of them: Gallant, Clockblocker and…

There was a grunt as a wispy shape appeared next to them. Shadow Stalker stepped out of her shadow form with barely a word. "You're here," she simply, folding her arms as she still clutched her crossbow.

Gallant could sense the resentment streaming of Clockblocker at that moment. There was just as much resent off Shadow Stalker as well. Clockblocker hated her because she was angry, violent and cold, and because she was the one that had made it out when so many others hadn't. Honestly, Gallant couldn't blame him.

But Gallant couldn't blame Shadow Stalker either. Unlike pretty much everyone, Gallant could empathise with her just as well. Shadow Stalker had been emotionally abused and neglected all her life, and had strived to become solely independent on only herself. Around Clockblocker – the boy with loving parents that had only been brought closer together despite his father's illness – and Gallant – the rich kid that everyone universally adored – well, it wasn't all that surprising that Shadow Stalker had resented and then hated the pair of them from day one.

Gallant couldn't hate her for that – not when he could feel her emotions that well. It was very hard for Gallant to hate anyone, as a matter of fact.

 _But now I'm left as the only one trying to keep this 'team' together_ , he thought with sigh, already feeling the tension between them in the air.

There were times (not many, but some) when Gallant was really envious of Shadow Stalker. _It must be so nice to just be able to_ not care _about what everyone else is feeling_ , he mused. That type of apathy was like armour.

Not for the first time this week, Gallant regretted his choice in powers.

"Good evening, Shadow Stalker," Gallant said brightly, even though he knew it wouldn't work. Shadow Stalker didn't respond to cheerfulness. Clockblocker's hands clenched as he glared at her through his mask. Gallant could feel the uncharacteristic bitterness streaming off him.

She grunted, adjusting her hood. "We've got Fenja surrendered at near the pier," she explained simply. "She was badly injured, she surrendered for medical attention. They told me to fetch you in case it's a trap."

Shadow Stalker was already walking away. Clockblocker's body was tense. For a moment, he didn't say anything, but then Clockblocker shouted accusingly at Shadow Stalker.

"They told us to stick together." Clockblocker snarled the words suddenly at Shadow Stalker's back. Gallant moved to try and calm him down. "They told us to stick together, _but_ _where were you?_ "

Shadow Stalker paused. Just before the battle at Boston, the Wards had been instructed to keep as a group. Shadow Stalker had then disappeared pretty much as soon as the Leviathan appeared.

"I left," she replied simply.

"Why?" Clockblocker demanded.

She turned to stare at him. "Because everyone else who stuck together ended up dead."

Clockblocker looked ready to charge forward angrily. Gallant was there to stop him, subtly using his power to try and calm Clockblocker down. Clockblocker had lost too many friends to calm down. "Easy," Gallant muttered gently. "There's nothing she could have done…"

This was the first time that Clockblocker had seen Shadow Stalker since the battle, Gallant realised. It was really grinding against him that she was now acting like nothing had happened.

"What about _after_ the battle?" Clockblocker demanded. "You disappeared then too."

"I was busy."

" _You ran_." The words were absolutely vicious. _Coward_ , they said accusingly.

Shadow Stalker shifted slightly. There was a spark of indignation at the unspoken accusation. Gallant frowned, trying to understand it as he watched her emotions. "I had stuff to do while _you_ were moping around," Shadow Stalker growled.

Gallant paused. There was too much sensitivity there. The realisation clicked. "…You were part of the Hunt Squad…" Gallant realised quietly, staring at Shadow Stalker.

Clockblocker hesitated, looking between Shadow Stalker and Gallant. The Hunt Squad. After Boston, when Leviathan and the other monster were gone, the fallout lingered. There had been _swarms_ of cloned capes still surviving, all of them scattered across the countryside, razing havoc.

No one was quite sure who gave the order, and nobody talked about it, but then slowly some of the capes, both heroes and villains, started to band together to hunt down the surviving clones, one by one.

The Hunt Squad had taken no prisoners.

Even if they were only clones, the response had been brutal and merciless.

The slight shrug from Shadow Stalker was all the confirmation they needed. She had been a part of that.

"No way," Clockblocker muttered, caught off-guard. "They'd never let a Ward take part in _that_ …"

 _But they would_ , Gallant thought quietly, _they would_ _because Shadow Stalker would be good at it_. Where Gallant was expecting Shadow Stalker to feel some sort of shame, she felt only a spark of pride.

"You know that there was a clone of _you_ as well?" Shadow Stalker said finally, motioning towards Clockblocker. "Your clone… he could touch people and freeze them out of time, but they still _aged_. I saw your clone tear through a small town, and every person he touched, they just turned to dust in a second. _Dozens_ of them."

Clockblocker didn't respond. Gallant could hear the smirk in her voice. "And so I shot you through the skull with my crossbow," Shadow Stalker said simply, before disappearing into a wispy shadow.

Neither of them said a word as she disappeared. After a moment, Gallant glanced at Clockblocker, and slowly started to walk after her.

 _One hell of a homecoming_.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Amazingly, and Gallant honestly hadn't thought it would be possible, but the day managed to get worse.

As evening fell, and the ripples weren't even beginning to settle, another stone hit the water.

No one was sure what happened exactly, but the timing was so perfect that they all knew who was responsible. The Undersiders must have managed to hack Kaiser's accounts, and sent _everything_ over to both the PRT and the media.

It was hard to tell which group went into the biggest fit of hysteria.

Every single Empire Eighty-Eight cape was unmasked and exposed. Every single Empire Eighty-Eight operation was exposed. Everything they had ever done was exposed.

But it wasn't just the Empire Eighty-Eight. Turns out that Kaiser had been gathering dirt on every group from the Elite to the Geselleschaft, even to politicians and senators. There was so much blackmail material to ensure that no rival group or ally ever thought about crossing him – enough to ensure mutual destruction if they ever went against him. From a prosecutor's perspective, even a single detail from Kaiser's hard drive was pure gold.

And then, when it was all dumped on them all at once, the PRT threatened to break under the weight of all that information.

About an hour after the bombshell, Gallant had phoned Vicky and told her that it would be a long night.

Director Piggot had been planning on a meeting with the Wards to discuss the future. That meeting was abruptly cancelled as the whole building erupted in panic.

It turned out that, amongst the landslide of incriminating evidence, there were also details of neo-Nazi sympathisers within the PRT itself. Pretty soon, there were armed PRT officers marching through the offices.

Gallant turned on a television at one point, and every single channel had the same story from a dozen different perspectives. Apparently the Chief Director was heading towards Brockton Bay at this very moment.

He wondered briefly if the Undersiders themselves knew the scale of the shit-storm they had just unleashed upon the city.

Eventually, as the panic really settled in, the order came through that it was possible riot situation, and that all Wards had to patrol for the night. Honestly, it seemed more of an excuse to get the Wards out of the building while the PRT tried to get their house in order.

By contrast, though, the streets of Brockton Bay were strangely quiet. The rumours were at every corner. In a single day, the Undersiders had built up the kind of reputation normally reserved the bogeyman.

"It's official," Clockblocker muttered quietly, walking next to Gallant as they walked down what used to be E88 territory. "' _Skittered'_ – to overwhelmingly defeat your opponent in the most brutal and terrifying way possible…"

Right now, it didn't look like there was a skinhead left in the city, outside of the hospital wards. Even the capes had all scattered. Fenja was in custody, being treated for internal bleeding after the explosion, while Victor and Othala had surrendered after their lives were blown apart, the evidence was stacked against them and there was no else to run. Menja had surrendered to join her sister not long afterwards. Krieg had rushed back to London for damage control, but apparently the international forces were waiting for him. Night and Fog had disappeared, and it didn't look like they'd be back.

 _The Undersiders were most definitely not small-time anymore_ , Gallant thought quietly, a knot in his stomach. The meaning here was unmistakeable – they had just taken out the biggest player so they could claim the city themselves.

"Come on," Gallant ordered finally. "Let's see if we can catch up to Shadow Stalker."

Clockblocker's mask wrinkled. "Why?" he said distastefully. "Let her go ahead."

"We should stick together," Gallant insisted. "She's our team."

"She doesn't think so," Clockblocker objected.

Gallant hesitated. "Just come on," he said with a sigh. "Let's at least _try_ to get along with her. That's an order."

He regretted that as soon as he said it. He felt the spark of resentment, tinged with grief. "What are _you_ in charge now?" Clockblocker demanded angrily. "That's it? Aegis dies so you just take over?"

"No, of course not." _He's upset and he's grieving_ , Gallant told himself. _He's going to lash out_.

 _Hell,_ I'm _grieving._ I _want to lash out too_.

"Then don't give orders," Clockblocker snapped.

"But _who_ is in charge right now?" Gallant asked, trying to defuse the situation. "Aegis is gone, Piggot is too busy, and Armsmaster, well, Armsmaster…"

He stumbled slightly with a slight grimace. Nobody liked talking about what had happened to Armsmaster. Still, Gallant recovered. "The point is, we've got to stick together now." He finished lamely. He hesitated then continued. " _We're_ all that's left now, so we've got to carry on for the ones that we've lost. We've got to do them justice."

Clockblocker didn't respond. Gallant stared at him hopefully for a second, but then his heart dropped as he heard a figure drop down next to them from a nearby fire escape.

"You two argue like a bunch of girls," Shadow Stalker said coldly, cutting through the silence as she approached objectionably. "I was staking out a pair of muggers and then _you_ went and scared them away."

Gallant sighed as he felt Clockblocker's anger flare. The hero glared at Shadow Stalker furiously, before turning around and storming away. One look at his aura made it very clear that he didn't want to be followed. Gallant rubbed his forehead sorely.

 _God, I_ hate _being the nice guy_ , he thought bitterly.

He was left alone with Shadow Stalker. For a moment, Gallant debated telling Shadow Stalker off for being so obtrusive, but then decided against it. Doubtless, that would just cause Shadow Stalker to walk off as well.

 _We are all still raw_ , he decided firmly; _let's try to work through it_.

"Alright Shadow Stalker," he said finally. "It looks like it's just you and me patrolling now."

She bristled. "I don't need your help."

"Well, I do," Gallant lied. "I don't know these streets very well. Could you show me around?"

With a shrug, Shadow Stalker started walking, jumping onto a fire escape and climbing agilely to the roof. With a pained grunt from his arm and bit of swearing, Gallant awkwardly managed to follow her. _I miss my powersuit_ , he thought dejectedly.

They headed towards the westernmost edge of the city slowly. Shadow Stalker moved like a cat, constantly tense and on the prowl. By contrast, Gallant stumbled behind her, awkwardly trying to make small talk.

The night was quiet, and Shadow Stalker moved fast. It was only when they reached the outskirts of the city that Dean realised where they were. They passed Captain's Hill heading towards the mountain outside the city, at the very far edges of Brockton Bay where the first and largest of the refuge encampments had been set up.

"Damn," Gallant muttered. "This isn't in our patrol routes yet, is it?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "More crime up here."

The Boston refugees had come in numbers, and more were still coming every day. The PRT had tried to house them all, but at a point it became simple economics. Too many people, too few houses, too little food.

Now, it had ended up as a huge swarm of refugees with nowhere else to go, that had lost everything, that were swarming the city. Slum City, as it was now being called, squatted on the westernmost edge and was growing every day. There were two more similar encampments sprouting up to the north and south as well it.

It was already over a mile long. There were tents propped up in the street, while people crowded into any building with four walls. This used to be sparse suburbs, but now the refugee had pretty much taken the area over. There were campsites set up in the middle of the street, parking lots were filled with people living in their cars, while the homeless were forced to stalk the street. Gallant passed a family of four huddled together in a street corner, feeling incredibly self-conscious as he walked through the centre of street, with eyes on him from all sides.

They _had_ tried to help, he told himself. They never wanted the refugees overwhelming the city itself, so they set up refugee points here where they tried to process the refugees and hand out food. Already, there were too many mouths to feed and the relief aid was struggling, but Gallant knew it was only going to get worse. There were still more refugees to arrive.

Pretty soon, as the relief aid ran out, they'd be forced to head into the city. People had lost all of their money and livelihoods when Boston sank, and the effect on the economy was snowballing. Eventually, the looting would start. It was a mob waiting to happen and Gallant had no idea how to fix it.

The fear was so thick in the streets that even without powers Gallant reckoned you could have felt it.

Shadow Stalker must have realised how awkward he was here. "Your family is pretty rich, right?" she said finally, speaking up for the first time in over an hour.

"Yes," Gallant admitted. "Pretty rich."

"Hmm," she said simply, and he felt a wave of smugness from her. That was all that she wanted to say, apparently.

Gallant ignored the remark. "Do you feel sorry for these people?" He asked finally, following her down the street and into an alley.

She paused. "No," she said simply.

"Why not?"

"Because it doesn't matter if I'm sorry or not," she said dismissively. "If they're strong, they'll survive this, and if they're weak, then who cares about them anyways? Sorry doesn't help anyone – they should look after themselves."

"But you're a superhero," he noted. "If you're not doing this to help people, then why are you here?"

She scowled under her mask and grunted. She walked two steps, before suddenly turning around and glaring at him. "Just get out of here, boyscout," she snapped. "I didn't ask for you to follow me around like a little puppy, and I can handle myself. Just leave."

"It's safer to stay together," Gallant protested. He wanted to at least make some progress with her, as hard as it was.

He sensed the disapproval stream off her. "Why? Are you going to black out again and drown in the middle of a fight again?" she said accusingly.

Gallant refused to rise to the bait. "Look, we're both of the same side here, I just want to get along."

"Really? Then stop treating me like I'm a fucking broken doll or whatever," she said angrily. "I'll handle my problems; you handle yours, and just stay out of my shit."

"Relying on others isn't a weakness, you know."

"That's generally something only the weak say."

Gallant paused, choosing his words carefully. "You weren't so strong against Leviathan," he said finally. "You had to run."

"I had to survive, you mean," she retorted.

"Did you want to do more, or was that the only thing you were interested in?"

She snorted. "That whole city went to hell, surviving was good enough for me." She folded her arms. "Where the hell do _you_ get off judging anyways? You were the one that blacked out and nearly drowned. And Clockblocker – just how did Clockblocker make it out again?"

Gallant hesitated. "He used his power to freeze himself to get away," he admitted. It had been a last ditch gambit for Clockblocker – there had been no way of knowing if he would unfreeze in the middle of a tidal wave or under a load of rubble.

"Exactly. You both were pretty useless, but _I_ was the only one who actually managed to last until the end. And while you were both moping around in bed, I was the one hunting down all those clones. I was the least useless one out of the lot of you, but you're still trying to get on _my_ back?"

He had to bite back his response. _Stop_ , Gallant thought firmly. Don't get drawn into that argument. He wanted to make a friend here.

"Alright, fine," he said finally. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to judge you for what you did. Can we please just try to get along?"

A noncommittal grunt as she turned away, prowling through Slum City. Gallant followed quietly. After nearly five minutes, he tried to change tact.

"Did you really last the whole fight with Leviathan?" he asked finally.

"Yep." He felt the wave of pride from her, but there was no hint of it in her voice. "I was there when the big gold guy finally showed up, right until the final tidal wave hit. Even the Triumvirate ran away by that point. I managed to phase through the water, but still nearly drowned."

"Huh." Gallant had seen what little was left of Boston – he didn't think anyone could survive it. "That's impressive."

There was no response, but he couldn't feel quite the hostility from either. After pause, he tried to keep the conversation going.

"So what about against that monster?" he asked finally. "Were you there when Leviathan killed her?"

Gallant only had fleeting memories of that thing – he never got a good glimpse, but he remembered sensing her emotions. It had been an aura filled with rage and pain, but the truly disturbing thing was how eerily similar the presence had seemed to a scared little girl.

Shadow Stalker hesitated. "I guess," she said simply, but there was a flicker in her aura. Doubt.

Gallant paused. "What do you mean?"

For a while, she didn't reply. Gallant waited patiently. "… That thing disappeared after Leviathan left, so everyone assumed Leviathan killed it," she said finally. "And then later the Chief Director is on TV saying that the thing has been confirmed dead, so I just rolled with it. I figured some other hero must have knocked it off without telling anyone."

Gallant frowned under his mask, trying to decipher the statement. "Wait, you're saying that Leviathan _didn't_ kill the Boston monster?"

Shadow Stalker shook her head. "Nope, it didn't have a chance," she explained quietly as she started to walk away again. "All I saw was this weird woman in a suit face off against that thing, and then suddenly they both disappeared into thin air."


	6. Interlude: Coil

**1.b Interlude: Coil**

Coil paused in his office, quietly reading the reports from his lieutenants. He sat for a long time, thinking quietly.

 _I need to be careful here_ , he thought softly as he considered his next move.

Even before his powers, even before he became Coil, he had always been a very careful man. He had had to be – after Ellisburg, he had made his career out of being very careful. Two steps forward, one step back. Constantly on the lookout for anything that could go wrong.

And then he had bought his powers, and he found himself capable of taking the step forward and the step backwards at the same time.

His powers were more subtle than most. They weren't something you could just use spontaneously. Instead, he found that he had to spend a very long time thinking about things, planning every action and every possible outcome to ensure nothing was left to chance.

 _Chance_ , he thought with disgust, rolling the word over in his mind. Coil hated the very concept of 'chance', as unavoidable as it was. He much preferred to work in certainties.

That was what his power let him do. Over the years, he had gotten it down to a fine art. He created two timelines – in one timeline he took a risk, and in the other timeline he played it safe. Then, no matter what happened, he was either in a better position or the exact same position from where he started. He could then repeat indefinitely, with absolutely no possibility of failure at any point.

However, there were drawbacks as well. Namely, that Coil was limited to only _two_ timelines.

This meant, to be really safe, he couldn't afford to take two risks at any one point. He couldn't take a risk in both timelines, because then it was possible he might fail in both. A slight possibility, maybe, but one that Coil wasn't comfortable taking. And as well as that, both timelines moved at the exact same rate, meaning he couldn't repeat either of them if he missed an opportunity. Each timeline was crucial - he couldn't keep two parallel timelines moving together for a prolonged period, because so long as he had two open he couldn't create any more. Instead, he had to use short, frequent decisions, in order to account for any new developments, never letting himself be tied down at a potentially critical moment. The wrong decision at any time could ruin everything.

It was a power that he needed to be very, very careful about. So long as there were only two choices, he was guaranteed to win. As soon as more possibilities appeared, things became much more complicated. It was so easy to end up in the wrong timeline. The higher the stakes became, the more care was required.

So instead, Coil sat and thought about things. As soon as the plan unfolded, Coil slowly created two different versions of himself. The world rippled as time split into two.

One version of him stayed in his chair and kept on thinking. He went to go get a coffee.

The other version headed downstairs and went to talk to the twelve year old girl locked up in a cell. Dinah's eyes were wide and twitchy as she stared at him, her skin pale from being underground. Coil bent down and pushed the hair out of her face. Dinah's skin almost crawled at the touch of his glove.

"Good morning, pet," he said gently. "I need some numbers."

"I want candy," Dinah croaked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Very well, six questions and then candy."

"Four."

He sighed. "Shall we say five then?"

"Okay, five."

"How likely is it that there's trouble in my base in the next twenty four hours?"

"Fourteen point six five three percent chance of an incident. Zero point five nine six percent someone dies."

He nodded. _Good_. "How likely is it that my operations are major disrupted in the next three days?"

"Sixty eight point seven seven six percent."

 _Not so good_. Coil paused, thinking about it quietly. "Chances that my distribution network is halted in the next three days?"

"Twelve point eight nine one, but three point six five one percent if there are no disruptions. Two questions left."

He thought about it carefully. "Probability that my undercover agents are compromised in the next three days?"

"Eighteen point nine six seven, but six point nine eight two if there are no disruptions. One question left."

 _So something was likely to happen that severely increased the chances of major trouble happening?_ He thought about the final question carefully, before finally asking. "Chances that any of my properties are seized in the next three days?"

"Sixty four point three two eight percent," Dinah replied quickly. "Can I have my candy now?"

There it is. _So at least one of my locations was under risk_ , Coil mused. If he had to guess, he'd say that Kaiser had been keeping files on Coil's potential locations, and PRT was planning on coming down on him. If they searched any of his locations, potentially arresting his men, that would certainly put his other operations at risk.

"Alright then, pet," Coil said finally. "What are the chances that the barracks I have under the Boardwalk is seized–"

"No!" Dinah said loudly, clutching her head in pain. "You promised me candy!"

"Pet, just a few more –"

"I want my candy!" Dinah screeched her arms already trembling. Nurses rushed over to her. "You've got to–"

Without another word, Coil let that timeline dissolve. In an instant, he was still sitting at his desk, where he had been for the last fifteen minutes, and he carefully made a note of the probabilities he had just been given. There was a limit on how many questions Dinah was capable of answering, unfortunately.

Still, Coil could work around that. Coil slowly created another two different versions of himself. The world rippled as time split into two.

One version of him stayed in his chair and kept on thinking. He went to go refill his coffee and make more notes.

The other version headed downstairs and went to talk to the twelve year old girl locked up in a cell. Dinah's eyes were wide and twitchy as she stared at him, her skin pale from being underground. Coil bent down and pushed the hair out of her face. Dinah's skin almost crawled at the touch of his glove.

"Good morning, pet," he said gently. "I need some numbers."

"I want candy," Dinah croaked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Very well, seven questions and then candy."

"Five."

He sighed. "Shall we say six then?"

"Okay, six."

"What is the probability of major disruptions to my operations in the next three days if I close my Boardwalk location right now?"

"Twenty-four point zero five three percent."

"What is the probability of major disruptions to my operations in the next three days if I close my Docks base...?"

Meanwhile, back in his other timeline, Coil kept on making notes. Even while apparently sitting completely still, he kept on writing the numbers down. Slowly, he filled page after page, the questions growing more and more specific. Slowly, as decisions were made, the probabilities started to whittle down.

 _Yes_ , Coil thought with satisfaction, as he sent out the order for his compromised locations to be scoured clean and evacuated. _Dinah was worth all the trouble I went through to get her_.

Once the probabilities were low enough that he was satisfied he could weather the upcoming investigation, he turned to the questions that were really bothering him. A fresh timeline, a fresh set of questions.

Coil slowly created another two different versions of himself. The world rippled as time split into two.

One version of him stayed in his chair and kept on thinking. He looked over the page of numbers critically.

The other version headed downstairs and went to talk to the twelve year old girl locked up in a cell. Dinah's eyes were wide and twitchy as she stared at him, her skin pale from being underground. Coil bent down and pushed the hair out of her face. Dinah's skin almost crawled at the touch of his glove.

"Good afternoon, pet," he said gently. "I need some numbers."

"I need candy," Dinah croaked, her voice hoarse.

"Very well, seven questions and then candy."

"No!" Dinah protested. "I need candy now!"

His voice became firm. "Pet, answer the questions and I promise you'll get your candy."

She squirmed. " _Fine_ ," she spat. "Seven questions."

"Do you remember the Undersiders? I told you about them. What is the probability that the Undersiders will successfully establish their territories in the city in the next two months? One decimal place, please"

"Fifty nine point nine percent that they'll take some parts of the city of it." Dinah twitched. "Nineteen point four percent that they'll take the whole city."

 _Still not massively great_ , Coil conceded. Mind, a month ago, that probability had been in the single digits. It was steadily increasing daily now.

"What is the probably that the Teeth will attempt to take the city themselves?"

"Ninety-one point six."

Well, that one was pretty obvious. "What is the probability that the Undersiders will successfully repel the Teeth?"

There was a minor spasm in across Dinah's face. She gulped, her face pale. "… Twenty four point… um… eight…" Her breathing was hoarse. "It's hard... It depends a lot on who's with the Undersiders at the time…"

Coil frowned. "Will the Undersiders recruit more members?"

Dinah blinked. "Sixty one point one percent chance they do."

"Probability that the Undersiders will successfully repel the Teeth if they take on more members?"

Dinah shook her head, eyes bulging as the strain got to her. "... um... I don't like these questions."

"Pet, please."

Her eyes were twitching. Dinah tried to focus, but then after a moment her whole body started to spasm. Coil watched with a sigh as Dinah ended up collapsing to the ground. The nurses rushed to her quickly, but Coil was already letting the timeline disappear.

Back in his office, Coil made a note of those numbers, with a large question mark against them. Dinah needed specific questions, he recalled. If there were too many possibilities, or too many options that couldn't fit easily into the percentages, then it severely hurt her. _I am going to have to think very carefully about the best way to phrase those questions_ , he decided. Dinah's power was also one that required careful deliberation.

The Undersiders had been on his mind a lot recently. It worried him how much he was actually relying on them for his plan. He had wanted another team, some other group he could rely on, but his recruitment efforts had proved futile. Instead, he was forced to rely solely on the Undersiders, and his deadline was coming up quickly.

His whole plan relied on the Undersiders being able to take the city, and he wasn't happy about it.

Not that the Undersiders were doing badly, mind. As a matter of fact, Coil had been pleasantly surprised by how effective they had proven themselves against the Empire.

But then the Undersiders had proven _too_ effective, and Coil was left deeply concerned.

If the group ever became too effective, well, then what's to stop them from deciding that they didn't need Coil at all? Maybe instead of taking the city for him, they just took the city for themselves. Coil was far, far too paranoid not to address the possibility of betrayal.

Case in point, their attack on the Empire Eighty-Eight. It had been brutal, effective, and it rid Coil of a powerful obstacle. For that, Coil had been glad. But then, he realised that the Undersiders had not only exposed Kaiser's enterprise, but had also taken all of Kaiser's money for themselves. That was more worrying.

Coil hadn't given them any order for them to steal the Empire's money, nor could he effectively reprimand them for doing so. The Undersiders had used their own initiative, and Coil didn't have any case for criticising them for doing so.

No case except that it made him uncomfortable, of course. The figures were sketchy, but Coil knew for a fact that at least eight digits had ended up in the Undersiders' possession. That type of money could challenge his own. Now Coil just couldn't have that.

After all, Coil preferred his subordinates to be dependent, financially or otherwise, on _him_. If they gained that much money for themselves, well, that just made Coil all the more redundant in that picture, didn't it?

Coil _had_ assisted the Undersiders in the final attack against the Empire. He had been talking through Tattletale the whole time. When Skitter's escape route was compromised, he had suggested in one timeline that they retreat, while in the other he stayed quiet and let the plan proceed regardless. As it happened, his help proved unnecessary. The Undersiders had won in both timelines.

In the timeline he disregarded, however, it had gotten rather messier. Grue had been pretty badly injured, and Bitch had lost two of her dogs, while Kaiser was killed in the battle rather than captured. Coil chose to let that timeline drop. Later, when he heard about what the Undersiders had done with the captured Kaiser, well, perhaps Coil had been too hasty in choosing between the timelines.

Still, Coil couldn't change that, and there was no point dwelling on it. He preferred to think about what he was going to do to correct it.

He mused over all of the possibilities for a bit, and then created another timeline. The world rippled as time split into two.

One version of him stayed in his chair and kept on thinking. He made some calls to enquire about the Undersiders.

The other version headed downstairs and went to talk to the twelve year old girl locked up in a cell. Dinah's eyes were wide and twitchy as she stared at him, her skin pale from being underground. Coil bent down and pushed the hair out of her face. Dinah's skin almost crawled at the touch of his glove.

"Good afternoon, pet," he said gently. "I need some numbers."

"I need candy," Dinah croaked, her voice hoarse.

"Very well, six questions and then candy."

"No!" Dinah protested. "I need candy now!"

His voice became firm. "Pet, answer the questions and I promise you'll get your candy."

She squirmed. "Alright," she said unhappily. "Six questions."

Coil hesitated for a brief second. ""Do you remember the Undersiders? I told you about them. What is the probability that the Undersiders will eventually betray me? One decimal place, please."

He watched carefully for any sign of deception from the little girl. This was a critical question. "Eighty five point one," Dinah said finally.

 _Hmm, disturbingly high_. Still, the question _had_ been very broad. By 'betray', it might be as simple as disobeying a minor order, and Coil hadn't specified any time range. In his view, most alliances suffered some form of betrayal at some point. Coil was forced to take a degree of ambiguity with any of Dinah's answers.

He mused over it slowly. "What is the probability that a member of the Undersiders will attempt to kill me?"

There was a brief flicker in Dinah's eyes. He thought she might try some duplicity, but the craving for candy won out. "Forty one point nine percent," she said quietly.

Now _that_ was a much more concerning answer. Coil scratched his mask. _Who is the most likely to want to kill me?_ Coil mused. "Hmmm… what is the probability that Bitch will attempt to kill me?"

"Seven point five percent. Three questions left."

 _So there's a much larger chance that it isn't her_ , Coil thought quietly. _Now who has the most reason to hate me?_ "What is the probability that Tattletale will attempt to kill me?" He asked after a pause.

"Sixteen point nine percent."

Now that's more like it. Coil didn't expect both the individual probabilities to add up to the forty one point nine percent for the original group – there was always the probability that Bitch _and_ Tattletale would try to kill him together.

Still, by Coil's maths, it meant there was also seventeen point five percent chance remaining that a member of the Undersiders _not including_ Bitch or Tattletale would try to kill him. There had been times when Coil had been forced to make a spreadsheet and several graphs to properly interpret Dinah's answers.

He thought about it for a while. _Now who do I consider to be the biggest threat out of the group?_

"Pet," Coil asked finally. "Second last question. What is the probability that Skitter will attempt to kill me?"

There was definitely a flicker in Dinah's eyes. "Thirty eight point four percent."

 _There we go_.

 _So, it looked like there is disturbingly likely chance that Skitter would want to murder me, for some reason_ , he thought slowly. And, looking at the percentages, there was quite a significant chance that she would convince the others of the Undersiders to join her.

 _But_ why _?_ Coil thought carefully. _I thought that Skitter and I had a reached an agreement. So what exactly have I done (or will I do in the future) to make her so driven to try and kill me at some point?_

He paused. Coil's eyes narrowed as he stared at Dinah, who was still twitching quietly. Skitter was a very moral person after all.

"Pet," Coil asked finally. "Final question and then you'll get your candy. What is the probability that Skitter will work against me if she ever finds out about _you_?"

Dinah's shoulders slumped silently. She might have lied if Coil hadn't trained her so well. By repeating the questions in different timelines, Coil could always figure out when she was lying. And Dinah knew that, and she knew what the consequences would be.

"Ninety nine point four percent," Dinah replied, so quietly it was barely a whisper.

Under his mask, Coil smiled smugly. _Well, that makes things simple_ , he thought as he let the timeline dissolve again.

If he wanted to keep Skitter's loyalty, then all he had to do was ensure that she never, ever learned about Dinah's captivity.

 _And to think that a few weeks ago I was actually debating whether or not to show Dinah to the Undersiders_ , he thought with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. _Damn, I was lucky I dodged_ that _bullet_ …

Of course, it still raised complications, but he could manage them. Skitter was valuable to him, and growing more valuable every day. She was smart, determined, and she had a power that was growing in potential constantly. He could see the possibilities that her bugs contained, so long as they were managed properly. Coil wanted to keep her on his side, and if that meant keeping her in the dark about the… more _distasteful_ elements of his business, then that was acceptable.

Tattletale was a problem, mind. Tattletale had _always_ been a problem, to be honest, Coil just kept her around because she was a useful problem, but Coil had never been comfortable with someone who could potentially blow the lid on so many of his secrets. He had never been sure exactly how much Tattletale knew, but it was safer just to assume she knew everything and plan accordingly.

 _If Tattletale ever chose to tell Skitter about Dinah in an effort to turn her against me_ … Coil mused. That could be problematic. He would have to make preparations.

Perhaps Coil would have to ensure Tattletale ended up in the cell next to Dinah's at some point. It was something to think about, at least.

In any case, Coil was left with a choice: did he continue to strengthen the Undersiders and use them to further his plan, or should he start limiting their actions and creating contingencies in case they ever did turn against him?

The plan formed quickly. _Of course not_ , Coil thought to himself, _I can do both_.

The air appeared to ripple as another he created another branch in time.

In one version, he called up the Undersiders and arranged for a meeting. He contacted some of his sources, made a few arrangements, and assembled his lieutenants for debrief. His mercenaries were armed and readied, and he moved some funds around as the plan came together.

His men reported that they picked the Undersiders up about half an hour later. He watched on the security cameras as they headed into Coil's complex, cradled beneath the skeletal frame of the building under construction. Grue took the lead, with Tattletale behind him and Bitch trailing along the back with two of her dogs at heel. Coil had his secretary head off to let them through the security door.

It was a military base more than a lair. Every guard had modified assault rifles close to hand, and there were mercenaries wearing black balaclavas mingling with the construction crew still milling around the place. Coil's headquarters ran with the smooth efficiency of pure military.

Still, if the Undersiders felt out of place, they didn't show it as they walked, clad in full costume, amongst the crowd of trained soldiers.

"Good evening, Undersiders," Coil greeted politely. "I was hoping if we could debrief about the latest updates to our mission."

Grue shook his hand, taking charge. "Alright," he replied. "Though we don't appreciate being called on such short notice."

"My apologies," Coil replied smoothly. "With the way matters have been developing, I thought it best to stay in regular contact. This way please."

Tattletale glanced at him, but didn't say anything. Grue was at the front of the group, trying to take charge, but more and more Coil was glancing towards Skitter, trying to judge her reaction. With her full-body bug armour it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"I must say, I am very impressed with the efficiency that you took down the Empire Eighty-Eight," Coil commented. "There will be other hurdles, of course, but you proved that the group is ready to take matters to the next level. With that in mind, I was hoping to discuss advancing the plan slightly."

"You still haven't _told_ us the full plan yet," Tattletale noted.

"All in good time," Coil answered, heading into a conference room. "For now, I simply want to help you take control of the city. I want you to establish Brockton Bay as your territory, and I want you to evict all other criminal groups from our city. With that in mind, I am prepared to offer you whatever support you need to meet that goal."

Grue folded his arms. "You mean you want us to become your lackeys."

"On the contrary, our relationship hasn't changed," Coil said simply. "The stakes have increased, but I am proposing that we hold to the same principle that this group was founded on. I will support your activities and present opportunities, and I will leave it to your own discretion whether you accept them or not. I want this to be a relationship based on mutual trust and reward."

No one spoke for a moment. "You said territories," Skitter said finally, her voice low. "That means you must want us to claim the Empire's old territory."

"I want you to claim the _city_ , that is the long-term goal," Coil admitted. "But with the attention that Brockton Bay is receiving and the growing unrest, I have my doubts whether the group is strong enough yet to maintain such a large territory; I fear you'd be spread too thin. For now, I think the Undersiders operate better without that restriction – you have proven well-suited at taking advantage of larger group's weakness, and I would hate to see the tables turned when more capes appear in Brockton Bay."

He paused for a moment, awaiting a response. Grue hesitated. "Alright," he said finally. "It makes sense. We'd be at a disadvantage if we had to protect our own territory rather than attacking someone else's."

"Exactly," Coil nodded. "That is why I feel we would be better served progressing slowly, strengthening your own organisation and reputation until you are a group strong enough to keep the city."

"How?" Skitter asked finally, leaning forward on her chair slightly.

"For starters, I offer each of you the select pick of, say, five of my mercenaries," Coil continued. "Five well-trained henchmen to every Undersider. They will work for you alone, follow your orders, and help establish the Undersiders as a criminal force rather than just a gang of thieves. I suggest that you also introduce some sort of dress code or uniform to help differentiate yourself between my forces and your new one."

"You're giving us your mercenaries?" Grue said doubtfully.

"No, I'm giving you your own mercenaries," Coil replied. "I would advise not to underestimate the aid that extra manpower gives you. In any case, they will be required in taking control of the criminal enterprise in the city."

"You mean drug trafficking," Tattletale interjected.

Coil shrugged. "Drug trafficking, gun smuggling, protection… I am flexible in what form your enterprise takes, so shall I leave that up to you. What's more important to me is that you set up _some_ business, in order to stop others doing the same. A hole in the market will attract opportunists, after all."

He noticed Skitter's fists clenching, but she didn't reply. "Furthermore, should there be anything at all that any of you need, I shall set you up will capable contacts to provide them. If there are any individual concerns, I am happy to address them." He glanced over the group, and then slowly pulled out a red folder of papers. "For example, Bitch, I have arranged to purchase _these_ locations in the northern edge of the city."

Bitch stared at the folder like it was a bomb and didn't open it. Tattletale reached for it instead.

"Two old farmhouses, one refurbished veterinary centre," Tattletale read, showing the pictures to Bitch.

"Each one capable of housing at least fifty dogs, I am told," Coil explained. "I have already made arrangements with local dog shelters for dogs to be sent there, and I have procured the services of one veterinary consultant, two interns, and an experienced dog trainer to help manage the facilities. With your permission, I would look to establish your building as a registered charity for stray dogs. You will maintain complete control of the locations, of course, and if there's anything else you require please do let me know."

Bitch's eyebrows furrowed, glaring at Coil with her arms folded like it was some sort of trap, but she didn't say anything. Slowly, Coil took out another two folders and handed them to Grue and Regent. "Likewise, Grue, your sister's paperwork has just came through, along with a glowing social care report, and you will be appointed as Aisha's legal guardian within the next week. With your permission, I can ensure that Aisha is enrolled at Arcadia High."

Grue's shoulders were stiff as he flicked through her folder. "As well as that," Coil continued. "I took the liberty of sending an anonymous tip to the authorities. Your mother and her, um, companions will be arrested for drug abuse this evening." Grue tensed. Coil just continued. "I assure you, that there will be no charges pressed against her, but she will be reprimanded into a first-class drug rehabilitation centre. All expenses paid, of course."

Regent reached for his folder as well, discreetly thumbing through. Coil turned to him. "Regent, I shall leave you to read through your file as well," Coil said simply. "If there are any issues about what I have provided, we can speak later."

"You're _buying_ our assistance," Skitter said, instantly sounding suspicious. "We've already been through this once, why are you trying so hard now?"

"Because I am aware that things are about to change, and I want to ensure we have a healthy relationship," Coil replied simply. He took out another folder and handed it to her. "Skitter, you should know that I have purchased five warehouses by the docks for housing your bugs. I have a construction crew ready to refurbish the locations in whatever manner you need, and I have made contact with some gentlemen overseas that deal in trading exotic animals. Insects, in particular."

She leafed through the papers slowly. "As well as that, I have also made contact with a former professor of entomology, previously at Boston University, a man that specialises in physiology and evolutionary genetics," Coil explained. "His services are yours to help refine your growing Tinker abilities. The professor has been known to consult in the past to aid Blasto's experimentations; I assure you he is discreet."

Another pause. Coil leant back in his chair slowly. "Also, I have not forgotten the original demand that you made of me before joining the group," he continued. "As that is a rather… _expensive_ request, I was actually hoping that you and I could go into partnership concerning that. Consider the impact that _two_ independent, recluse but wealthy, businessmen could have, if they were to spearhead a movement to revitalise Brockton Bay's docks? It is something to discuss, at least."

There was a moment of silence. Grue glanced around his team quietly. "But why are you trying so hard here?" He said finally. "We've already agreed to work for you, why are you going to such lengths?"

"Because I do not want subordinates," Coil replied smoothly. "I am looking for _partners_. Together, we have large ambitions for this city, and I want to make sure we are all happy with that outcome. I was rather hoping we could use this meeting as an opportunity to open a dialogue about what is needed for that future."

The Undersiders glanced between each over hesitantly, but, slowly, they began to talk about the things they wanted. Coil made notes. His assistant brought in tea and cupcakes, while Coil worked to make sure that his team of supervillains were well-catered for.

Of course, that was all happening in _one_ timeline.

At the exact same time, however, Coil was making a very different plan. While sitting at his desk, he calmly dialled a number into his mobile, waiting patiently as the phone rang.

It was answered on the ninth ring. "…Hello?" A groggy voice muttered.

"Good evening. You may know me as Coil, and I was hoping we could discuss a business arrangement."

"How the hell did you get this number?" The man demanded angrily. His voice was slurred slightly. There was a faint buzzing from the other end of the line.

"I have my sources," Coil said smoothly. "May I have a moment of your time, Blasto?"

There was a pause. "Who the fuck are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Coil, a supervillain operating in Brockton Bay," he replied. "As for what I want? Well, a better starting point is what _you_ need. I am aware of your situation at the moment."

"You don't know shit," Blasto growled down the phone.

"Really? I know that you went from being one of the most powerful parahumans in Boston to being homeless. I know you lost your lab and your life's work when Leviathan attacked, and I know that you have been left broke, without the funds to restart your enterprise, while the whole world has marked you as presumed dead. Tell me, how _is_ that refugee encampment treating you?"

There was no reply. "Now then, I'm offering you a chance to restart your business in Brockton Bay. I am offering you funding for your experimentations, protection from your enemies while your seeds develop, and a healthy slice of the city to recover what you lost in Boston."

There was silence for nearly fifteen seconds. "…What do you want?" Blasto replied slowly. His voice didn't sound quite so groggy anymore.

"I want to sponsor your work," Coil said, matter-of-fact. "And, in return, I would like to discuss how you could help me take care of a group of traitorous underlings."

No matter what happened in the future, Coil fully intended to be on the right side of it. _'Chance'_ was for those that hadn't prepared properly.

xxxxxxxxxxx

At the end of the night, when the men finally took Dinah back to her cell and locked the door, she could feel the 'candy' making her so delirious she nearly collapsed. Still, she just managed to focus enough to ask her power one final question.

After she did, she spent the night curled up into a ball, sobbing.

The probability of Dinah ever getting to go home had dropped by a full twenty percent.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Well, I said originally that I would only ever have one interlude to each arc. I guess this is me now eating those words. I thought about it, and I figured I just had to include the Coil interlude right now, it would mess up my plan too much otherwise. So yes, this is the second interlude before the start of the next arc.

Next arc: 'Malignance'...


	7. Malignance 01

**Malignance 2.01**

My head felt weirdly empty as I stared at the papers blankly. Every newspaper had the exact same story, each with different fearmongering titles. Gang warfare on the docks. Undersiders massacre E88. Supervillain crime escalates. Nightmare bug apocalypse.

The Brockton Bay Herald, in particular, had a rather striking artist's sketch of each of the Undersiders, with myself in costume on the very front page. Every edge of my costume had been exaggerated, combined with dark shadows and distorted features that made me look like some sort of evil villainous warlord.

Still, the longer I stared at that picture the more I started to wonder how accurate it actually was.

"Don't do that," A voice warned from behind me. I turned to see Brian, arms folded as he dropped down on to the sofa next to me. I frowned, still curled up over the papers. Brian's eyes were firm.

"What?" I demanded touchily.

"Torturing yourself," Brian said simply. "Stop it. You don't deserve it and it's not helping anything."

I scowled. "I just killed _nine_ people," I said coldly, though it shocked me how matter-of-factly the words sounded. Nine people had died in the Empire Eighty-Eight assault, because of me. I had spent the last two days reading through every paper and report I could find, trying to learn their names.

 _That brought my kill count up to eleven_ , I thought, still feeling eerily detached. That list currently included Hookwolf, those nine thugs, and also Kaiser. Admittedly, Kaiser had still a bit of a question mark, but the smart money said he was dead already. You generally couldn't become that big of a liability for people _that_ dangerous and survive this long. In any case, it felt safe to count Max Anders among my victims.

"Nine people who were trying to kill you," Brian noted. "They were all there to kill _you_ , remember?"

"Maybe," I argued. "Or maybe they were just nine scared little boys that got roped into the Empire, and ended up forced into that battle."

Brian looked at me doubtfully. "And you're _sure_ this isn't just about self-torture instead?"

I bristled. "I made a _mistake_ , Brian," I said with a scowl. " _I blew them up_."

I had no idea how big of an explosion I had been playing with. I mean, it's not like I had any experience of that amount of explosive before. I had gotten it completely wrong and people had died.

And the worst part was how victorious I had felt after the battle. That rush had lasted right up until the next morning when I looked at the paper and I saw the death count.

Brian's eyes flickered. "Yeah," he said simply. "That sucks."

My hands clenched, ready to explode angrily, when he sighed and continued. "You know what I was doing before the Undersiders?" He said slowly. "I used to work as an enforcer. Any small-time wannabe gangster that wanted some superpower muscle, that's how I got my work."

I frowned. Brian just looked at me and kept on talking. "Now one night, I had a job to rough up some lowlife who wasn't paying back a loan shark. Nothing too serious, just a bit of scare. I didn't _like_ it, but the money was good." There was a pause. "Only _this_ lowlife was completely off his head on meth when I arrived. But I delivered the message, blanketed him in darkness, did the whole 'pay back or else' act, yet this guy just didn't want to take the hint. Now, he was big guy, real angry, totally off his rocker, and he had a bat. I didn't want to hurt him. He was blind in my darkness, but he still blocked the door so I had to punch him out the way."

Brian grimaced slightly but his voice didn't waver. "Except he _didn't_ get out the way. I had to keep on punching him until he dropped, but this guy, he just didn't drop. So I kept on punching. Finally, he went down, and I left." I was pretty sure I knew by his expression where the story was heading. "And then, a _full_ _day_ later – I mean, the guy got up and went to work and everything – and then he clutched his stomach and collapsed. It turned out that when he wasn't high on meth, well, that big guy wasn't so healthy. He died, and it was my fault."

My mouth dropped open as I tried to think of what to say. Brian shifted awkwardly. "… I'm sorry," I said finally, and the words sounded weird even as I said them. "I didn't know."

"Nah." Brian shrugged. "No one knew. The guy hadn't been so healthy even in his peak, and he was the sort to get in bar fights every night of the week. When he died of internal haemorrhaging after a bad meth trip, no one really questioned it. No one ever even knew I had anything to do with it – he didn't say a word."

His tone of voice was unsettling to say the least. _There were two murderers on the team_ , I recalled Armsmaster saying. Bitch and Regent, apparently. If no one knew about Brian's involvement, Armsmaster couldn't have been talking about him.

 _I guess now there are_ four _killers on the Undersiders_.

"So you don't feel guilty?" I asked softly.

"Fuck," Brian scoffed with a grimace. "I _tortured_ myself with guilt. Hell, I came _this close_ to actually turning myself in. I hated myself for _months_."

I shivered. Somehow I didn't think Brian had ever told anyone this before. "And what changed?"

"Because I realised that the scary bit is how really, really _easy_ it is to kill someone, even without powers," he said grimly. "With powers, it just makes it even more horrifying how easily people die. Absolutely _anybody_ you swarm with bugs or I blanket with darkness might have a heart attack and end up dead."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is that meant to be _reassuring_?!"

He chuckled humourless and rubbed his forehead. "Hell no. I'm making it up here as I go, as well, you know?" He paused. "I don't know the answers and I can't answer what's right or wrong, but I do know that you can't torture yourself right now. That just doesn't do anyone any good."

"I don't think 'good' has anything to do with it." I snorted.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "There a hell of a lot of people who can walk the streets safely now that the Empire is gone. If you hadn't have done what you did, then you'd be dead and this city would be a hell of lot worse of. You say you made a mistake, I say that's just more reason to get better for the next time."

 _The next time_. The thought sent shivers up my spine. I recalled Coil's instruction with a flicker of dread. "Are you really that comfortable with what we're doing?" I asked softly.

He shook his head gently. "No. Not even remotely," he admitted. "But I think I'm doing it anyways."

I'd been having the same thought. Still, it wasn't a _nice_ thought. "So you're prepared to start taking over the Empire's drug trade?"

Hs shoulders slouched. "I don't know," he said with a sigh, and I saw his body clench. "But what was it that Coil said?"

"A hole in the market attracts opportunists," I quoted quietly. "If we don't set up the business, someone else might."

So long as there was money to be had, there would be people exploit it. You couldn't really stop something unless you were in control of it. It was the same thought that I had had the first night I said yes to Coil, but the reality of actually having people actually push drugs in your name… that was a hard pill to swallow.

I wondered briefly how Brian must feel, considering his mother had just been taken into rehab. Then again, maybe if the drug trade hadn't been so out of control, then his mother might have never gotten so bad. Maybe you could keep the hard stuff out, make sure nothing went so wild.

Brian paused. "I'm just making this up as I go," he confessed. "That's the only thing I know how to do."

There was a long moment of silence. "We've still got the Merchants to take care off," Brian said finally. "No matter what happens next, _they_ have to go now. I really don't like the way the Merchants have been growing in number."

We shared a grimace. While we had been taken on the Empire, Coil's forces had been systematically breaking the Merchants down and cutting off their trade. Despite that, somehow, the Archer's Bridge Merchants were still managing to grow in numbers. Their ranks were swelling with the refugees entering the city.

Brian was right – the Merchants were now priority one. We had to cut them down now before they became a proper threat.

I glanced back at the newspapers on the table in front of me. Brian looked at me sympathetically, before slowly reaching over and folding the papers up. Just for a second, his hand brushed against mine as he reached across.

The slight touch made my skin tingle.

There was a long moment of silence. I blinked as I felt the air shift slowly. It might have been my imagination, but I swear I saw Brian's eyes flicker. He hesitated for a moment, and the slowly cleared his throat as if to speak–

"Alright, lovebirds!" A voice shouted loudly, barging into the living room. Lisa stared at me wickedly with broad smile. "Keep your pants on, we've got work to do."

Lisa Wilbourn, ladies and gentlemen, professional mood-killer.

Brian coughed and straightened up with a deep frown. My cheeks felt like they were on view. Lisa just charged into the room, slamming a pile of papers on the table as Alec and Rachel followed her in.

"What's going on?" Brian demanded.

"I'm calling a team meeting," Lisa said firmly, carrying a notepad filled with scribbles. "Look, I've even made an agenda."

"Since when did we start having agendas?" Alec whined, slouching into the opposite sofa.

"Ever since we stole _fifty million dollars_ from criminal warlords," Lisa said smugly, folding her arms.

There was a moment of stunned silence. My mouth dropped open. I knew that there had been a lot of money taken from Kaiser, but it had just been so much we couldn't keep count at the time. Still…

"Fifty million?!" I exclaimed with shock. The number was mindboggling.

"Yep," Lisa said, her smirk growing larger. "You would not believe the trouble I've been through going through all of those accounts. Hell, I'm _still_ waiting to liquidise a lot of his assets. I had to hire _three_ different overseas accounting firms, and then I had to make it all untraceable. The Geselleschaft is already snooping around trying to trace where their money went, but I reckon they've lost the trail."

"Wait, so they might be coming after us for what we did?" Brian asked, with a frown.

"Even if they wanted to, I don't think they'll be able to," Lisa admitted. "The whole organisation is taking a beating right now ever since the leak, they'll have to cut their losses. Our biggest worry is if the government sniffs out all of the money and tries to seize it, but I've been careful. In any case, fifty million dollars it is."

I struggled to even process that number. That was rich on Coil-level rich. _I'm sixteen years old and already multi-millionaire_ , I thought dumbly.

Alec was practically giggling. "Well, ten million each," he said finally. "We've had worse days."

Lisa glanced at him and shook her head. "Nope, sorry," she said sweetly. "Two million each, actually. The rest is getting locked away."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I figured we need to be a bit more careful with this money," Lisa explained, just before Alec had time to object. "So we each get two million right now – I've created four different bank accounts, under various pseudonyms, for each of us, with five hundred thousand in each. Probably best not to put too many eggs in one basket right now."

"And what about the other forty million?" Brian asked.

"Well, most of it is sorted," Lisa explained, glancing through her list. "There's that ten million that gets split among us into our individual money, and there's another five million that goes into a group communal fund for whatever we need. There's fifteen million that's for any big investments on our part – buying properties, transport, equipment etc. – and the other fifteen million is going to get locked away in various stocks and bearer bonds to keep it nice and secure."

"Wow, sounds like you got everything handled," Brian commented, impressed.

"Oh sure," Lisa muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry about me, _I'm_ perfectly happy doing all the accounting for the group. It's not like I have anything better to do than working forty-eight hours sorting through stolen funds."

"Good to know," Alec replied with a shrug. Lisa threw a cushion at him.

"Don't worry Lisa, I can start helping you with finance stuff," I offered. I was pretty sure my multi-tasking powers would come in handy there. I frowned as another thought occurred. "Although why not just ask Coil for his help sorting all this stuff out?"

Lisa hesitated slightly. "It's probably best if we don't involve Coil in any of these finances," she said after a brief pause.

I frowned, but didn't reply. Coil was our benefactor, and he had seemed pretty fair with us so far. I honestly couldn't imagine why Coil would risk screwing us over on this count when he had invested so much else into the team, but I filed the question away as something to ask Lisa about later.

"Anyways, that's most of the money stuff done," Lisa said with a sigh. "You'll get your personal account details through shortly. The individual money is yours, while all the joint accounts need at least majority vote from within the group to draw any money out. If there's anything anyone urgently wants, now's the time to –"

Alec raised his hand. "I want to buy a submarine."

Lisa stopped. Brian turned to stare at him. "Why would you want a submarine?" He said with a sigh.

Alec just shrugged. "Why _wouldn't_ you want a submarine?" He retorted.

"Let's just put that one down as a 'maybe'," Lisa said diplomatically. "Anyone else?"

I hesitated. "I need three million dollars to go into business with Coil," I said nervously. _Holy fuck, I just asked for_ three million dollars _like it was spare change._

And Lisa didn't even flinch. "Alright, I can set that up for you," she said simply.

Coil and I had agreed to go into partnership, launching a movement to invest and revitalise into the docks. Coil had promised to match any contribution that I made dollar for dollar. He'd set up the business and the accounts, and a starting investment of six million was enough to get things moving. I could barely imagine how Dad and the others at the Dockworker's Association would react when the deal came through.

Alec stared between me and Lisa in shock. "Hey! How come _she_ gets to spend money on whatever she wants?"

"Because Taylor is the only one who's actually bringing money _in_ ," Lisa said, matter-of-fact. "I've already been pre-selling spider silk on the black market, and the demand is huge. Once her warehouses are set up, she's going to be mass-selling high quality explosives and unmatched silk by the truckload. Face it, _she's_ our cash cow."

I couldn't help the smug smile that flashed across my face. Alec grumbled, but didn't object. The only person who looked totally disinterested was Rachel, sitting quietly across the room and staring into space. I made a mental note to try and find some way of bringing Rachel into the team more; she had little to contribute in conversations like this.

"Lisa, I also want your help to set up a charity for those affected by the gang wars," I said after a brief pause. The image of nine bodies flashed before my eyes. "With, I don't know, one million? Don't worry, you can take that out of my own money."

She nodded and made a note. "Actually, that sounds like something that should come off the group fund, so long as we make sure people know the Undersiders are behind it," Lisa glanced to Brian for confirmation. "I mean, it'll be a lot easier to take the city if the people know that we're good for it."

Brian nodded in agreement, glancing around the group. Alec didn't object and Rachel gave a curt nod when pressed. "Alright, that sounds like a plan," Brian said firmly.

The feeling of casually investing millions was one that I was just never going to get used to. I started to wonder what I could possibly do with my two million. _Maybe I could convince Dad that he won the lottery_ …

"Alright…" Lisa mumbled, glancing around the room. "Anyone else? Ok then… moving onto the next item…"

It felt really weird as everyone said around quietly watching Lisa go through the list. Like teenagers trying to be professional. _We should have bought pizza for this_ , I decided.

"Next item…" Lisa declared. "Our organisation. Specifically, what are we going to use for our logo, and what costumes are we going to give the henchmen?"

There was a silent pause. My shoulders drooped. Alec burst out laughing.

"Oh come on, guys…" Lisa sighed. "We're criminal warlords now, and it's about brand. It's about _reputation_. If we don't decide what our look is going to be, then someone else might do it for us. If we get saddled with the public image of… I don't know… _sixties' horror movie cosplayers_ … then that's our organisation over before it even began."

Alec frowned. "Sixties' horror movie cosplayers?" He said quizzically.

"It was the first thing I could think of on the spot," Lisa replied touchily. "Point is, we've got the resources now, let's make sure we leverage them properly."

I thought briefly back to five trained mercenaries Coil gave me back at my base that I was somehow expected to lead. I felt like a little girl giving orders to men much older and bigger than me. I now had five huge buildings that I was only just starting to refill with bugs, as well as a whole construction crew waiting to for me to tell them what needed to be done. I had never been more grateful for a full-face mask to hide how totally lost I was.

A lot of my breeding pools had been destroyed in the Empire assault, but I didn't really care. There was only really two dozen or so that were the most useful, and enough of my bugs had survived that I could repopulate quickly enough. With the extra space, I was now intending a different building for each species; one warehouse for spiders, another for bees, another for ants, etc.

The thought of actually having a properly ventilated and constructed lair was reassuring, to say the least.

I wondered briefly what the others were doing with the men Coil had provided for them. _Damn, this whole crime business was exhausting_ …

"Costumes?" Brian chuckled. "Are you serious? You do know how Uber and Leet look when they dress their henchmen up like video game characters, right?"

"Well, we don't have to go _that_ far…" Lisa said sheepishly. "But right now we are looking to build reputation. Making ourselves identifiable is part of that."

"What are you dressing your guys up as, dork?" Alec asked me curiously. "I can imagine each guy with a different bug theme. Oh! Giant spider costumes!"

I stared at him. Alec just grinned happily. "Come on, you've got to admit," he said teasingly. " _That_ dress code would make your Honeycomb Hideout a great place to work."

I shook my head slowly. "…No…" I said with quiet horror. "…We are _not_ referring to my base as the Honeycomb Hideout…"

Alec burst out into chuckles. Even Brian sniggered quietly at my expression. "Ok…" Lisa compromised with a broad smile. "How about we just put a pin in this point and say everyone has to think about individual logos and henchmen costumes?"

There were a few nods. Alec was still smirking. "So are we done here?" Rachel asked finally, looking towards her dogs impatiently. It was the first thing she said the whole meeting.

"Nearly," Lisa conceded. I saw her quietly crossing several points of her list as she read the mood of the room. I promised myself that I would have to work through it with her at some point – it was unfair to leave all of the boring stuff to her all the time. "Just one last matter I need everyone here for…" She took out a folder that looked suspiciously like the type Coil used. "… _recruitment_."

She dropped the folder on the table, shoving aside my newspapers, and opened it to reveal a pages with photos attached and details. The mood shifted.

"So we're actually doing this then?" Brian asked finally, glancing around. "Recruiting more members?"

"I guess so," I said, with just a hint of reluctance. "Right now, we've got the money, we need the manpower, and with all the refugees we're never going to get a better chance at recruiting more capes."

Rachel shifted but didn't say anything. Lisa nodded in agreement. "Yeah." No one objected – we'd all been thinking the same thing. "I've had Coil's people build a portfolio of potential recruits. All we need to do is look through it and decide who to recruit."

Slowly, Lisa started pulling out the papers out of the folder. Some papers had pictures attached, others were just brief descriptions on reported parahumans. I recognised a few of the capes, but there was a surprisingly number of that I had no idea about. Capes new to the city or recent suspected trigger events.

"Well, we need someone that can fit with the group," Brian said after a pause, leafing through pages as they spread them around the table. "We need someone the right sort of age range, with the right attitude and without any ideology or political motivations or whatever."

"Yeah, and it might be best if we discount the E88 old capes," Lisa said with a grimace, as she slowly moved photos of Othala and Rune to the ground. "Even if they are currently out of work, there might be a bit too much history there…"

"No one violent or with a body count," I added, glancing around the pile. It was decreasing quickly as we sorted through it.

Alec snorted. "Yeah, _you_ can't judge on that one anymore," he said quietly, before Brian elbowed him roughly in the ribs. I firmly ignored the comment.

"We're going to go through these quickly at this rate," Lisa said, biting her lip. "I'm going to make a 'maybe' pile."

I came across sheets concerning Uber and Leet in the pile, which had neatly been stapled together. After a pause, I dropped both papers onto the floor. Five seconds later, Lisa snatched the pair's papers up and placed them into her growing 'maybe' file. When I stared at her, Lisa just shrugged sheepishly.

"Let's split that 'maybe' pile into two," I said after a few seconds. "How about make it 'possibly' and 'if all else fails'?"

"Nobody that hurts dogs," Rachel said firmly, glancing at the photos with a deep frown.

"How about someone with a moustache?" Alec offered, still leaning back in his seat.

"Not helping!" Brian growled without glancing at him.

"Not trying to," Alec replied simply.

More piles were emerging depending on likelihood. Lisa was right, we were going through the list quickly. I noticed Brian pick up a sheet with Spitfire's picture on the front.

"How about it, Lisa?" He said, only half-joking. "Do you want to try and snipe Faultline's Crew off her?"

For a second, Lisa looked like she was seriously considering it. "… Not worth the trouble," Lisa decided finally. Still, she never put Spitfire in the 'solid no' category.

The piles became progressively smaller. There had been about fifty in total, some not even based in Brockton Bay, and it was getting harder to choose between them. A lot of the potential recruits that I discounted completely, Lisa then moved into one of the various maybe piles. She had been right – there really weren't so many once you actually sorted through them.

The choices became more and more curious. There were some definite eye raisers, but nothing too weird until…

"… Are you serious?" I muttered slowly, uncovering a picture I recognised instantly. What looked like Amy Dallon's yearbook photo was attached to the sheet that I held up in disbelief. "Panacea? You're thinking about recruiting _Panacea_?"

Lisa just smirked. "She hates us," I said simply. "Hell, she's a superhero from a family of superheroes and we held her hostage once. You seriously think she's supervillain material?"

"Alright, she would be a hard sell," Lisa conceded. "… But maybe not quite as hard as you might think. I've been reading some of the files the PRT has on her – she's been emotionally neglected in her family, overworked, underappreciated… Overall, the hero life hasn't been treating her so well, and that black-and-white mentality of hers might not last so long. Yeah, I reckon it wouldn't be impossible if we're careful about it."

I didn't believe it. Lisa had emotionally tortured Panacea while I held a knife to her throat, and then shot her sister. Still, I held my tongue as Lisa sorted her away into one of the 'promising but awkward' piles.

"What about this one?" Brian commented, holding up a picture I recognised fleetingly from local news. "Parian. A Rogue, with powers to make giant living dolls."

Lisa sighed despondently. "You know, I would _love_ to recruit her. Great powers, would round us out nicely, I think she'd be great fit for the team," Lisa muttered. "But I don't think we could manage it. Parian has made it pretty clear so far that she wants nothing to do with either heroes or villains."

Lisa put Parian in the same pile as Panacea, but slightly below the healer. Apparently, Lisa thought that recruiting the do-gooder hero that dedicated her life to helping people would be easier than the independent doll-maker.

I came across another photo. As it happened, Panacea wasn't even the strangest option on the list. "Seriously?!" I exclaimed for the second time, handing a sheet over to Brian. " _Her?_ "

Brian's eyes widened as he saw Shadow Stalker's picture. "Oh, _hell no!_ "

Lisa groaned. "Look, there are only so many teenage capes in the city," Lisa said pleadingly. "Come on, just consider it."

"She tried to kill me!" Brian exclaimed loudly. "With a crossbow! I've still got the scars!"

"Shadow Stalker is a Ward," I said obviously. I knew her by reputation more than anything. The only real interaction I'd ever had with Shadow Stalker was from when I punched Emma, out of costume, in the mall, and, honestly, she had seemed like a bit of jerk. "Why would she ever join a group of supervillains?"

"Might not be that difficult," Lisa explained with a shrug. "I've been watching her on PRT surveillance, my power fills in a lot of the gaps. Shadow Stalker doesn't get on so well with the other members, she has a lot of trouble following the rules, and, overall, there's very little actually tying her to being a Ward. Ever since Boston that's only become more strained and, well, I reckon she'd be open to a career change."

"But she tried to _kill_ me," Brian said, as if Lisa was stupid. "She's a _psycho_."

Lisa shifted slightly. "Well, you _were_ on opposites sides then," she said awkwardly. "And you can't blame her for trying to be good at her job." Brian opened his mouth to object. Lisa cut him off. "Ok, so she's a bit vicious," Lisa admitted. "But, well, that might not be so much of disadvantage in _our_ line of work. Maybe we could use someone like Shadow Stalker? Just please consider it; if you're willing to forget that grudge, she might be too."

Brian didn't reply, but he still winced quietly as he saw Lisa put Shadow Stalker right to the front of the 'promising but awkward' pile.

The remaining ones were capes I'd never even heard of. There was a suspected Brute/Changer that had been robbing convenience stores and gas stations. A couple of small-time villains from Boston that had lost their old gangs and were apparently in the area. A fugitive cape that was apparently hiding out in the refugee slums. There were even dossiers on members of the Merchants in that folder, which I quickly dropped into the 'no' pile. Lisa didn't argue with those rejections, at least.

At the end, nearly forty-five minutes later, the number of capes in our 'yes' pile was… absolutely none.

"You know, this makes me remember why we stopped actively recruiting the first time," Brian commented with a sigh.

"What about Circus?" Alec asked curiously, standing up to fetch a soda from the kitchen. Rachel had long left to play with her dogs. "We tried to recruit her once, and she's working with Coil now anyways, right?"

Lisa shook her head gloomily. Circus hadn't even been in the portfolio. "Her answer hasn't changed. She's happy contracting for Coil, still doesn't want to join a gang."

Brian hesitated as he glanced back to the piles. They ranged from 'last resort', 'unlikely', 'too violent/wrong attitude', to 'not enough information' up to 'promising but awkward'. There were none that we could all definitely agree.

"Alright," Brian conceded reluctantly. "Maybe we could relax some of our criteria a bit."

Lisa hesitated. "I don't want anyone accepting someone we're not happy with," she admitted. "I'll talk to Coil, maybe he could stretch the net out a bit further."

I sighed softly. As annoying as it was, we did need new members. We had plenty of specific skills, but we definitely weren't a well-rounded group. The Undersiders couldn't continue as they were doing forever. It was only a matter of time before we faced enemies that we couldn't handle. The whole reason we weren't out there claiming territory for ourselves right now was because Coil didn't think we could hold it, and he was probably right.

I glanced at the piles hesitantly, and then back to Lisa. There were lots that we couldn't agree on, but Lisa's power _did_ make her the best at reading people. "Lisa," I said after an awkward moment. "Why don't you pick, say, the three most promising recruits yourself, and then we can scout them out? _No promises_ , but let's just open some options up rather than locking ourselves in a loop."

I looked to Brian for his approval. After a pause, he nodded. "Alright," Brian admitted, rubbing his forehead. "Let's just get a shortlist, meet up with them, and maybe we'll find someone who's right."

Lisa grinned with an eager nod. Her hand hovered over the pile, and her brow wrinkled in that way that it did whenever she was using her powers intently. After a long pause, she picked up three sheets of papers; one of them was Shadow Stalker's profile, the other was a nearly blank sheet from the 'not enough information' pile, and the final one was for Rune.

"Rune?" Brian asked curiously. "Really?"

"I'm not sure how dedicated she really was to the Empire's philosophy," Lisa explained simply. "And maybe she's willing to forgive too."

"Well, at least that's sorted," Alec muttered, already pulling his phone and turning his attention to it.

"Not quite," I added. "We've still got to interview them next, I guess."

Brian flexed uncomfortably. "There's no rush," he said finally. "I know Coil has the big plan or whatever, but I'm not going to jump into anything until we're all comfortable with it, and that means –"

"Um… guys?" Alec said suddenly.

There was a brief pause. Still staring at his phone, Alec blinked as he looked at the screen. He muttered slowly. "…You should see this…"

We all turned to stare. The mood suddenly froze with his tone. Alec carefully twisted the small phone screen around. It showed a video hosted on Parahuman Online.

"The PRT has just issued a press release from Brockton Bay," Alec explained quietly. "Apparently, with Armsmaster's absence and the recent gang violence… now _Alexandria_ is going to be personally taking over the division of Brockton Bay's Protectorate…"

The statement was made with dumb silence. On the small, fuzzy video, I could see Alexandria clad in her classic black and grey costume, broad cape draped dramatically over her shoulders, as she stood on the podium and announced that she was transferring from Los Angeles, taking interim leadership of Brockton Bay Protectorate, vowing to purge the criminal element threatening to take over the city.

My mouth dropped open. Slowly, I looked between the gobsmacked faces of Alec, Brian and Lisa – the _other_ members of the criminal element trying to take the city.

Then I looked back at the screen, where a crowd of people were cheering at Alexandria's promise to eradicate us.

 _Oh_ …


	8. Malignance 02

**Malignance 2.02**

There were days when I wrote lists of everything that I wanted to do. I wanted to set up my hideout properly, I wanted start my breeding pools up again in earnest, I had _dozens_ of ideas that I wanted to experiment with my powers. I wanted to look into getting aquariums for aquatic bugs, I wanted to talk to Coil about the docks investment plan, and I wanted to see how the charity we were trying to set up was getting along.

Hell, I wanted to help Lisa with the finances, I wanted to help Rachel with her new dog shelters, I wanted to help Aisha settle into Brian's apartment.

And I wanted to talk to my dad. Right now, it had been over a week since I had even talked to him on the phone, but somehow I just hadn't even had the chance to get in touch with him. I hadn't been going to school, I hadn't even had time to run on a morning like I normally did.

Oh yeah, and I also wanted to get rid of the gang of meth heads and drug addicts that were tearing my city apart, and I wanted to try and stop the growing violence sprouting up from the refugee camps.

I sighed softly as I walked. There were days when I had whole lists of things I needed to do in the morning, and yet somehow the list was always longer by the time I went to bed. I was good at getting things done – but I wasn't _that_ good.

"We shouldn't be here," I said quietly, still hesitating slightly as I clutched my backpack tightly.

"Come on, it's sorted," Lisa replied softly as we walked down the street.

"What if Brian needs our help?" I muttered quietly.

She almost rolled her eyes. "He'll be _fine_. He's got Rachel and the dogs with him, as well as Regent and two dozen mercenaries with automatic guns," Lisa retorted. "And he's against a bunch of drugged-out addicts. He'll be absolutely fine, you're just feisty about getting left behind."

I bit my lip. Right now, Grue and the other Undersiders were leading an assault against a Merchant rally. Apparently the Merchants had been growing so big now that they could hold whole rallies in the abandoned factories – mostly unpowered civilians, but still, it was worrying. In any case, we decided that we needed to break the Merchants hard, and so Grue and the others were leading a raid against them, bringing with them nearly all of the henchmen Coil had provided as well. They were intending on making a statement about just how unwelcome the Merchants were in Brockton Bay.

Still, right now, he was out fighting a war, and I was left walking through Slum City, out of costume, on a quite likely wild-goose chase. It was particularly annoying because they were fighting a mob, and my powers were ideal at crowd control. A huge swarm of bugs was just _perfect_ at fighting giant mobs.

Lisa glanced at me, reading my expression perfectly. I noticed that without my mask she could read me so much easier. "Look," Lisa said quietly. "One of the reasons that I didn't want you to take part in the Merchant raid is because, well, you'd kind of steal the show."

I frowned. " _What_?"

"When people think of the Empire Eighty-Eight's defeat, they don't think of the Undersiders, they think of you," Lisa explained softly. " _You're_ the one that's been building the reputation, and that's great, but everyone else needs a reputation too. I wanted Grue to handle tonight, let _him_ make a big statement, because otherwise people will start to think that you're the only threat that the Undersiders have."

I grimaced, but I couldn't really argue with that. "I don't 'steal the show'," I muttered under my breath softly.

Lisa smirked, nudging me in the arm affectionately. "Hey, cheer up," she said softly. "After all, you're my bodyguard tonight."

I grunted, but I still glanced around the street with a dark gaze. This was my first time in Slum City, and I was already starting to agree with Lisa; she did need a bodyguard. Even just walking down the road, there were two dozen homeless men staring at us, and I really didn't like their expression.

We were two young girls walking alone through the crowds of refugees living out on the street. We had decided to go out in plain clothes to try and avoid any attention, but we still had our costumes in backpacks with us. Lisa had even picked the blandest clothes she had to try and fit in, but I still felt massively out of place.

Around me, I kept my bugs discreet, but the swarm followed my movements closely. Even if someone did think that we were easy prey, I had enough bugs in earshot that I felt confident they'd regret it quickly.

The plan was simple; we'd go into Slum City discreetly, find our target, scout him out, and then either costume up to make him an offer or walk away.

There was a rabble of men in thick hoodies staring at the corner, staring at us. Lisa walked so close that we were shoulder to shoulder, so she could speak quietly into my ear. "What bugs did you bring with you?" She asked quietly.

"Enough of my big ones," I said softly, keeping my gaze steady. "I've got the spiders following over the rooftops, and some of my centipedes in the sewers under the road. There are wasps hovering overhead, _and_ …"

I slowly unzipped the very top of coat. Lisa glanced under my collar, where there were dozens of black shapes crawling over my shirt. "They're species of ants," I explained quietly, zipping my coat back up again. "Or were, at least. Now they're more like my mutants bred for their venom. Neurotoxin, in fact. Completely non-lethal, but enough bites can completely paralyse a man."

I was sick of having to hold back on the really venomous bugs for fear they'd inflict permanent harm. Instead, I created a species that could bite all it wanted and completely paralyse a person in seconds rather than seriously maim. Lisa glanced at me. I shrugged. "Professor Mills' idea," I admitted.

"Oh."

Professor Mills was the entomology professor that Coil had recommended to consult on my bug breeding. He was a fifty year old man that looked the very picture of an academic; right down to the tweed jacket and the receding hairline, as well as the faintly condescending way that he talked. Still, he seemed to know pretty much everything about bugs. Also, it was faintly unnerving how comfortable the professor was around heavy weaponry, criminal supervillains while talking about designing mutant murder bugs.

My power let me control and organise bugs intuitively, but Mills knew so much more about bugs, and his input was really speeding up my breeding pools. It was a bit less trial and error and much better results. Like the paralysing neurotoxin ants – it would have taken me ages to come to the same solution if he hadn't told me what to aim for.

I still had a goal that I wanted to eventually produce spiders large enough that I could physically ride on them. The first time I mentioned that to Professor Mills, the professor had scoffed and said it would take a thousand years to genetically redesign arachnids to that degree. Then, after looking around at what I could do, he eventually admitted that I might be able to do it in a hundred.

I was willing to bet I could go a lot faster than that – in my experience, my Tinker powers tended to get exponentially faster and more effective the more iterations I built up.

I glanced around the dark streets. I'd been gathering bugs as we'd walked for a while, but it was hard to move a large swarm without being too obvious. Two young teenagers out alone differently risked the wrong type of attention in this type of place. I could handle it, but I didn't want to use my powers and draw a scene. We had debated bringing some of our henchmen with us just for a bit of muscle, but since we weren't planning on going in costume that would mean letting the mercenaries see our faces, and we didn't quite trust Coil's old men for that yet.

We walked past the haggle of men quietly. They never said a word, but I could feel eyes on my back as we walked away.

"So…" I said quietly, watching through my bugs for any unwanted lurkers as we crossed into an alley, heading towards a park that had been dominated by makeshift tents and bonfires. "…This guy that we're looking for? Do you have a description?"

Lisa pulled a paper out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was a school photo of a spotty-faced, slightly chubby teenager with greasy hair and a rather detached expression. Originally from the 'not enough information' pile, but Lisa had recently scoured up a bit more.

"Dylan Green. He's never really had a chance for a secret identity," Lisa explained simply. "The picture is a few years out of date, but it's the best I could get. He was last sighted at a refugee checkpoint near here; facial recognition caught him on camera. He'll probably be alone, keeping a low profile, so try and scout around."

I nodded. There were absolutely plenty of bugs around here, and more people packed into the area than I thought possible. Even at night, there were people milling around the streets because they had nowhere to go. The litter was everywhere and the houses had all been abandoned, ransacked, and crowded by dozens of families fighting for a place to live. It looked like a totally different city from what it had been just a few weeks ago.

"This Dylan…" I said conversationally, as I stretched out with my power and working through the refugees. "Tell me about him."

"Well, his cape name is 'Cutthroat'." I glanced at her and Lisa added, "PRT issued name, that is. He probably didn't have any choice in the matter. He's from New York, and has been roaming around for a while now. He triggered about three years ago, got into a lot of problems shortly after."

"His powers?"

"Not a clue. Some Striker or Brute rating, maybe? Nobody's ever really been able to identify it. He's dangerous in close range, at least."

I nodded. _Swarm decoys it is, then_. "Got it."

Lisa glanced at me and then paused slightly. "Also…" she continued awkwardly. "…He's kind of got a reputation for being violent."

Lisa's tone was worrying. I paused. " _How_ violent, exactly?" I asked carefully.

"Well, right now he's hiding in Brockton Bay because the PRT is after him for murder," Lisa admitted.

My feet halted. "You didn't say anything about _murder_ ," I hissed.

"I might have omitted a few details to give him a fair shot," she confessed. "I didn't want you to judge too quickly.

" _Whose_ murder exactly? How?"

"He killed a boy that he used to go to school with," Lisa explained dryly. She hesitated. "…And, well, he kind of ripped the boy's limbs off… along with his head…"

My eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Oh, good thing I didn't _judge_ then," I said sarcastically. "And you think _this guy_ is a good match for us?"

"Look, give him a chance, alright?" Lisa said defensively. "There's… _context_ there. As in, Cutthroat killed the boy during his trigger event."

My mouth opened, and then paused. Lisa nodded. "You remember what you were like during your trigger event, right? It's the worst moment possible, so intense, and suddenly you're dropped with powers you've got absolutely no idea how to control. I'm guessing you weren't so in control after yours."

My eyes flickered. I could barely remember what I had been like when they had dragged me out of that locker, but apparently I had assaulted the teachers who finally opened the door. I had just blacked out in pure, frenzied panic.

Lisa smiled smugly. "Exactly," she said with a smirk. "People lose control during trigger events. Now imagine how much worse it could have been if you had triggered with a more _direct_ power, one that could do some real destructive damage? You could have killed whoever was around you at the time and not even realised."

"Alright, fine," I conceded. "I see your point. But if he wasn't in control, then why is he on the run for murder?"

"People have known how risky trigger events are for a long time," Lisa explained. "But it's one case where the legal system hasn't really caught up properly yet. Now imagine it from Dylan's perspective; he has the worst moment of his life, he blacks out, and when he comes to again he's covered in blood and surrounded by the body parts of his former classmate, and then suddenly the police are charging in, weapons drawn and screaming at him. So he freaks out, he panics, and he runs. He's been running nonstop for the last three years."

I bit my lip hesitantly as I thought about it. I could imagine it quite clearly, actually. Lisa folded her arms and continued smugly. "So right now, he's on the run, with no friends, hiding out in the biggest mess he can find. No prior supervillain affiliations, no agenda, just a messed up kid with superpowers. Does that sound like the type of person that could maybe fit in with the Undersiders?"

I paused. "He sounds like Rachel," I admitted quietly. Lisa nodded gently. "Are you sure about this?"

"I've been reading through the lines on a lot of the reports," Lisa confessed. "Now, maybe he really _is_ the homicidal psychopath the PRT and the media are trying to paint him as. Or maybe he isn't. I figured he was worth a look to find out."

I could see her point. _I shouldn't be so quick to judge_ , I thought with a pang of discomfort. After all, right now, the whole media was portraying me as a mass murdering maniac who eats the skin of people with swarms of bugs. There were people talking about Skitter in the same way they used to talk about Bakuda. There was always another side to a story.

Still, Slum City was crowded and the search was slow. For all that I had been hearing about how lawless this place was, the refugee overflow felt strangely quiet. Tense and unnerving, but also fairly subdued. I could feel the eyes on me, I could sense the people crammed into torched buildings through my bugs, but the most activity I ever saw was a crowd of people getting thoroughly drunk in front of a bonfire in the middle of child's park. Lisa changed direction there, saying that Cutthroat would probably be staying away from any activity.

My bugs could cover ground and sense people, but I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to recognise him through the blurry eyes of a swarm of insects. Instead, I was more relying on Lisa – she had read all the information she could find on him to attune her powers, and we were hoping to use her super intuition to track down where he could be hiding.

Despite everything, though, it got boring fast. About after two hours of walking, seemingly in circles, it was well-past midnight and my feet were aching, I was just about to suggest we called it a night. Just as Lisa walked us around down the same alley for the fourth time, my bugs picked up on activity in a nearby street. Flies felt frenzied movements and dull grunts.

I stopped. "What is it?" Lisa asked.

"Mugging," I said simply, focusing on my insects. I could sense someone kicking angrily, and a figure curled up in a ball. I pointed in the direction. "I think."

"Maybe we should leave it," Lisa suggested quietly. "Let's not draw attention out of costume."

I pursed my lips. "Someone might get hurt," I muttered, already walking off in the direction. Still, I did hold off on the swarm of insects. Instead, I had mace and a baton hidden in my jacket, with the insects in case things got really hairy.

As far as I could tell, it was only one guy – skinny, sleeveless shirt, bald head, with neck tattoos. The thug was grunting obscenities furiously as he kicked the person curled up on a ball on the ground. As soon as I neared the alley, I could hear the dull thud of every kick. It sounded violent. The victim was on the pavement, whimpering in pain with every blow, but the thug showed no sign of stopping.

I hesitated, but it wasn't like there was any else around that could help. No costume, no powers, I would just have to be a random good citizen walking by. The thug didn't look like he was armed, I had my mace, and I knew that Lisa was keeping a handgun hidden under her vest if things got really ugly.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this," I said firmly, tensing myself as I walked into the alley. Lisa frowned as she peered around the corner. "You just stay back in case–"

"Wait!" Lisa said suddenly, grabbing my shoulder and holding me back. "Don't interfere. I think that's our guy."

I stared at the thug incredulously. He wasn't flying Merchant tags, but he had the same sort of wild look in his eyes. The tattooed man looked completely out of his mind. "Seriously? _Him_?!"

Lisa shook her head, pulling me backwards. "No," she whispered softly. " _Him_ – the guy on the ground."

I blinked, turning my focus towards the man getting the crap pounded out of him. He wore a dark hoodie that covered his head so I couldn't see it at first, but slowly I made the connection to the teenager on the picture. A bit less baby-fat, a lot more bruises, but the spots were still there. Besides the occasional grunts of pain, Dylan Green, _Cutthroat_ , didn't make a sound as the thug kept on kicking him relentlessly.

"Him." I said disbelievingly. He was showing no signs of powers, he wasn't even fighting back.

"I told you he kept a low profile," Lisa whispered, as we watched.

About thirty seconds later, the thug grunted, spat on his victim with a muffled threat, before turning and staggering away. Even after the other man left, Dylan kept on lying on the ground for almost a minute, but then slowly started to clamber to his feet. I saw him spit out blood onto the ground as he pulled himself up with a pained groan. He was limping and cradling his ribs, but he still kept his hoodie obscuring his face as he walked. His shoulders were heavily slouched, head down.

Lisa and I shared a glance. I followed with my bugs discreetly as Dylan limped towards the back of a dirty alley, before grunting down onto his knees and dragging himself through a knee-height, formerly barricaded, opening leading into a cellar of the building.

Quickly, my swarm sense recognised to the building as an abandoned bar; the main floors were cram packed with refugees, rowdy with cheap booze and drugs, while the lower cellar appeared barricaded up and deserted. The only entrance was from the opening in the alley, but I could easily sense through the cockroaches inside as Dylan collapsed into the corner of cellar, onto a dank makeshift bed amongst piles of dusty boxes.

He was breathing deeply, I noted, with a dull rhythm almost as if meditating.

"So that's our guy," I muttered, slowly revising my impression of him.

"Yep." Lisa nodded. "Come on," she said finally. "Let's costume up and go talk to him."

"You want to approach him directly?" I asked curiously. "I could always just contact him through bugs first in case he gets violent?"

She shook her head. "He just took a beating just to avoid drawing attention," she noted. "We come in directly, show we're no threat, and he'll listen without a making a scene. I'll get a better read if I'm facing him, anyways."

"Fair enough," I agreed, drawing my backpack. There were nearby dumpsters where we could throw our outfits on other our civilian clothes, and leave our jackets and coats behind. Strangely, I felt so much more comfortable as soon as I put on my mask.

This was one case I was more than happy to leave things to Tattletale. She was so much better at this stuff than I was. I would be clambering up trying to think of the best way to make contact with him, but she just walked confidently up towards the cellar and kicked the wall next to the opening firmly. I felt Dylan jump as soon as he heard the footsteps right outside, instantly alert. He had been on the run for a long time.

Tattletale motioned to me, and I nodded. "Dylan Green," my swarm intoned softly, as the bugs filled the cellar. His eyes widened in shock. "Or do you prefer Cutthroat? May we come in? We have things to discuss."

He didn't reply. I sensed him looking around in panic, retreating into the shadows of the cellar as if to hide. My bugs dispersed quietly, and Tattletale was on her knees as she crawled through the opening confidently. I kept enough bugs around to swarm him if he did anything violent.

"Good evening!" Tattletale greeted cheerfully from behind her domino mask. "Nice night, hmm?"

I couldn't read his expression in the shadows and under his hoodie, but his body language felt tense. He didn't reply as Tattletale intruded right in the middle of his hideout, but we squirming almost like a cornered rat.

I crawled in after Tattletale, and the first thing that hit me was the smell. The cellar stunk of damp and mould. It was enough to make me nauseous. Tattletale had her hands raised innocently as she walked towards him cautiously.

Dylan didn't say a word. I suddenly remembered the first night I met the Undersiders – I had been so scared I could barely speak. It felt so weird to be on the other side of that encounter now.

Fortunately, Tattletale could talk enough for the both of us. "So then, Cutthroat, how are you?" Tattletale said cheerfully. "Those bruises look like they hurt. Anyways, let's get the obvious out the way. I'm Tattletale, this is Skitter, but I'm guessing you know that already?"

There was no response. He didn't make a move, but he looked ready to bolt. _Shy?_ I wondered curiously, keeping my distance behind Tattletale.

"Obviously, we're not here to report you. You say the word, and we'll leave straight away, and we'll never mention where you're hiding." Lisa continued. I could hear the smirk in her voice. Still no response. "But I'd suggest that you might want to listen to us. This life doesn't look like it's treating you so well, and we might be able to help."

Silence, but I felt his body twitch. Tattletale was probably able to read much more into his body language than I could. She folded her arms. "We come representing the Undersiders," Tattletale said simply. "Have you heard of us?"

She waited nearly fifteen seconds for a response. "…Yes." His voice was dry, hesitant.

"Do you know what we want?"

A much longer pause. His body stiffened. I saw his hands flex in the gloom. "It's your city. I don't have any money to buy my stay here, but I don't want any trouble." The words were low. His voice was strangely soft.

"We're not interested in extorting you," Tattletale said, her voice becoming gentler. "But it must be hard living by yourself like this, hmm?"

No reply. Tattletale chuckled and continued. "Have you ever thought it would be a lot easier if you had allies to support you?"

I didn't think he was going to reply. Tattletale was just about to start talking again when he did. "No," he said suddenly, taking a step forward and relaxing slightly. "Please leave."

There was a pause. Tattletale hesitated, clearly caught off-guard by the abrupt answer. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not interested," he replied simply. "I don't want to work for you. I'd appreciate it if you left."

It wasn't easy to cause Tattletale to falter. He managed it. "Why?" I asked suddenly, speaking up for the first time. _Was this a negotiation tactic to catch us off-guard?_ "You're very quick to dismiss us."

"I don't care about what you're doing here. I don't want to be involved."

"Now is not a good time to by yourself," she said. "There's _Alexandria_ in this city now – you don't want to have to face her by yourself."

"I don't want to face her by joining the group she's targeting," he replied simply, almost emotionlessly.

"Instead you just want to keep on running then?" Tattletale retorted, changing tact with barely a pause. "You know it's rare for solo villains to survive on the run for as long as you have, _Cutthroat_."

It was hard to tell under the hood, but I swear he bristled slightly. "I'm good at running."

"I'm sure you are," Tattletale answered smoothly. "Say, what would you like to be called anyways? Dylan Green, Cutthroat, which do you prefer?"

A flicker of hesitation. He sighed under his breath, before moving to sit down on a nearby crate. "I didn't choose either of those names," he replied softly. "If you must, call me Runaway."

"Runaway?" I said questioningly. He only nodded. The cape name seemed to fit a lot better than Cutthroat.

For the first time, I got a good look at him through my own eyes. Runaway was young, maybe sixteen or fifteen, but short and stocky body type, with very pale skin and dark eyes, and a mop of unkempt black hair. His face was heavily bruised, and he was missing a tooth from his lower jaw. He had a very passive, almost solemn expression, and his shoulders were permanently slouched like he was trying to make himself smaller than he already was. He wore ragged jeans, worn trainers, and a grey hoodie that looked two sizes too big, but it did good job of obscuring his body and hiding his face.

Overall, I could see how he stayed hidden in Slum City so long – I could have past him twenty times in the street and I wouldn't have noticed anything distinctive.

Tattletale smiled, stepping forward in greeting. "Let's try this again." I thought she might have offered a handshake, but she didn't extend her hand. "If we're going to be sharing the same city, we should at least be civil. Might stop any misunderstandings later if we get to know each know now, do you think?"

He nodded slowly. _Not so aloof now that I could see his face_ , I decided, _more like a scared teenager trying to stay away from trouble_. Tattletale must have realised and changed her approach. My shoulders relaxed slightly.

Her smile broadened. "Great!" She said cheerfully, taking a seat on a box opposite him. "Lets start with the obvious question; powers. I'm a Thinker, Skitter here control bugs, of course. So what's your power?"

Runaway paused, eyes flickering. "Striker. I can telekinetically create slashing edges," he said after a moment. "I can cut things."

My eyes perked up. It sounded a bit like Stormtiger's power. "Really?" I said interestedly. "Wow, what's your range?"

"About an inch and a half."

I blinked. Tattletale frowned. "Excuse me?"

Runaway slowly extended his finger in demonstration. "An inch and a half," Runaway repeated, as he moved his finger to a nearby empty beer bottle littered on the floor, and slowly gliding the tip of his finger around the glass. I couldn't even see him doing anything, right up until the glass bottle gently split into two. The cut had been so finely I hadn't even noticed. "Extending from my fingertips."

 _Was he serious?_ I wondered quietly. It would have a pretty cool power, but… not even two inches? "What's the point in _that_?" I blurted out, instantly regretting the words.

He just shrugged. "Depends on how close you are."

Tattletale looked at him curiously. "…They're like claws," she said after a moment, glancing at his hands. "How sharp are they?"

"They can cut absolutely anything, I think," Runaway replied with an empty expression. "The edges are infinitesimally narrow, beyond sharp."

 _He tore a kid's limbs off_ , I recalled Lisa mentioning suddenly. The image of impossibly sharp telekinetic claws slicing through flesh and bone flashed before my eyes. The glass bottle had been cut so smoothly I couldn't even see an edge until it split. Somehow, I didn't think it'd be so clean cutting human skin. Under my mask, I frowned darkly and stepped backwards slightly.

"… That thug before," I said after a long pause, my eyes narrowing. "We saw him beating you up outside. Why?"

There was another long pause. Tattletale looked at him curiously. "… Just a lowlife punk. Him and his crew have been shaking down folks for 'protection' money all over the neighbourhood," Runaway said quietly, with a gentle shrug. "…If you don't pay, you get beat up."

 _There were very few officers in Slum City_ , I recalled suddenly. Even the Protectorate hadn't officially including it in their patrol routes yet. The place was going to hell but right now the authorities were too busy trying to keep all of the chaos confined and out of the city.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Tattletale asked suddenly. I glanced at her curiously.

"I did," Runaway replied emotionlessly. "I fought back a week ago, I lost, and then I got the crap beaten out of me three times as hard."

I frowned. That thug hadn't looked like a cape. "Did they have powers?"

"No." He shook his head. "Just baseball bats."

I hesitated. "And nobody helps? They just walk around beating people up in the middle of the street?"

There a soft smile on his face. "You really don't have a clue what's going on here, do you?" He said slowly. "There's a thousand more like them in every street. More gangs than I can be bothered to keep count off. The only reason the gangs aren't fighting each other is because there are too many innocent people to terrorise."

I bristled quietly. I knew things had been getting bad, but I'd been holed up in my lair for a while now, distracted with my own personal war. It was hard to keep track of everything when it felt like the world around you was spiralling out of control.

"Why not leave?" I asked finally. "The city is only an hour away."

"Anyone who could, did. The ones left are the ones that can't," he replied with a small scoff. "They cut off power a week ago. Food rations are barely getting through. So many refugees, so many flooded roads, not enough food, and people can barely afford to eat. There's still some aid coming through the refugee checkpoints, but this place is still on lockdown."

"Lockdown?"

"The authorities set up barricades at Captain's Hill a few days ago," Tattletale replied simply. "Trying to limit the refugees flooding the city. Makes sense from their perspective, I suppose; damage control and try to keep all the refugees in one place so they can help them easier."

"Look around and see how well that's going," Runaway challenged.

"Yeah," Tattletale agreed, sitting down on a box opposite him. Her voice was conversational. "And we're here willing to help, and maybe you can help us. Tell me a bit more about the situation here?"

His eyes flickered. "Why?" He said suspiciously.

"Because we want to know," Tattletale said cheerfully. Even in the gloom I could hear the smile in her voice. "Tell me, how did you find this basement anyways?"

Slowly, almost cautiously, he started talking. Tattletale was doing that on purpose, I realised slowly. Directing the conversation until there was something he could talk about. He was a quiet person, and suspicious, but she was easing him into an actual dialogue. Runaway had started with a flat-out refusal at first because that was just his personality – antisocial, instinctively cautious, he had to be approached subtly. There was something about his demeanour that reminded me almost of a cat in that regard.

I listened into the conversation quietly, but didn't take part. It was almost everyday stuff, about the raves and the parties upstairs, the different things happening in the neighbourhood, the food rations. I just listened quietly. This was Lisa's element, not mine. She just wanted to get him talking, while I was a quiet person too.

Still, it was the topics that Tattletale didn't mention that I found the most interesting. She deliberately didn't mention anything about why he was running, nothing about his fugitive status, and absolutely nothing about his old life. Her powers probably already told her the answers, and maybe she suspected that those were topics that would make Runaway close up.

I tried to pay attention, but eventually I just zoned out. The horrible stench in the basement was making my head spin, I didn't know how the others could manage it. The damp basement was giving me an annoyingly persistent headache. Almost absentmindedly, I distracted myself by inspecting the damp boxes littering the floor while keeping one ear on the conversation.

" – so it must get pretty busy here during the day," Tattletale continued conversationally. "Lots of gangs, nothing else to do, how many parties do you get? Does ever it…" her voice trailed off suddenly. She hesitated and glanced around. "Um… Skitter?" Tattletale said suddenly. I shot up towards her. "Could you quit it with the bugs, please?"

 _What bugs?_ I almost replied, before I glanced down at the floor. Sure enough, there were a dozen cockroaches skittering around the floor randomly. It took me a few seconds to even recognise the bugs. Something was off… Under my mask, I frowned in confusion.

Tattletale stared at me. Her eyes widened in alarm. She figured it out even before I did. "Oh no…"

"I can't control them…" I muttered in confusion. I couldn't even sense the cockroaches. I was so used to instinctively feeling the presence of insects, but _these_ bugs… I was looking at them but it was like they weren't even there in my bug control.

I blinked, struggling to concentrate on them. I rubbed my head in pain against my persistant headache.

I heard Tattletale swear under her breath. She wasn't smiling anymore. "Skitter, you've got a headache…" She muttered. "When was the _last_ _time_ you had a headache like that?"

My mouth dropped open in realisation. My heart was pounding suddenly. Last time. "The bank robbery…" I gasped. The realisation struck. "… Panacea!"

The last time I had a headache like this, a headache that crept up on me so slowly I hadn't even realised it at first, it had been because Amy Dallon had been nearby, modifying my bugs to disrupt my powers. I hadn't even made the connection until Tattletale mentioned it. It was different to how it had been during the bank robbery; less painful, more subtle, like a tingling in the back of my mind that I had easily just dismissed

I suddenly realised that my bug control wasn't working properly. I could still sense a lot of my bugs, but they weren't following my orders. I ordered a fly to come to me and it ended up flying in the wrong direction. _Every single bug in my range wasn't receiving the right orders_ , I realised in shock.

In panic, I squished one of the cockroaches on the floor. It didn't even make a difference to my headache. How many bugs were there around me that I couldn't sense, that were interfering with my control?

"…Panacea…" I cursed, feeling the panic grew over me. "Amy Dallon must be close by somewhere, controlling my bugs…"

Tattletale shook her head. Her eyes were glazed over slightly as her power kicked into overdrive. "… No… this was pre-planned. Last time at the bank she was rushed, but this time she's had time to design it better. She created bugs that would block your instructions, but would also move towards the source of the instructions. All she needed to do was create enough bugs and scatter them in the right sort of area, and you'd pull them towards you and block your own control without even realising…"

I stared in shock. How long had that been creeping up on me? My powers worked largely autonomously in the background, and I hadn't even been paying attention. The effect was slow and discreet enough that it could creep on you, and all the while we'd been walking around Slum City, I hadn't been exercising my bugs, so I wouldn't have noticed them becoming less and less responsive.

My head raced as I tried to piece it together. "But… but…" I gasped. "… The 'right sort of area'?… how could she know where we would be?"

Runaway was still in the corner, staring at us with growing confusion in his eyes. We were both suddenly distracted. Tattletale's eyes widened in alarm.

"Your bugs have been moving over the rooftops," she said suddenly. "… They've been following us from the air…"

" _They've?!_ "

Tattletale shoved passed me to rush to the window. "Oh shit shit shit shit sh –!"

There wasn't even time to freak out as the booming voice hit us and the everything was swallowed by blinding light –

" _Attention!_ " A voice boomed suddenly from the street outside. "Everybody in the building please evacuate immediately! We have reason to believe that there are wanted supervillains hiding in the premise! All civilians please leave in an orderly manner, your cooperation is appreciated!"

My heart was pounding as I tried to stare out the window. Even through the foggy glass, the light was brighter than a spotlight shining on to the bar. I could hear shouting from the refugees in the upper floor, but my head was madly so badly I could barely focus.

" _Undersiders!_ " The voice continued. "We know you are in there. Exit the building calmly and surrender peacefully. You are hereby placed under citizen's arrest according to Act 3, Clause 1 of the Vigilante Amendment. You have the right to press charges against your arrestors, you have the right fair process, but reasonable force will be used if you do not…"

 _She was reading us her rights_ , I thought in panic. Slowly, I managed to squint against the light, until I made out the glowing figure of Lady Photon, surrounded in a bubble of light, hovering in the street outside and already drawing a crowd. There were other shapes circling the building in the air around her.

"It's New Wave," Tattletale muttered in quiet shock. "There's Lady Photon, Manpower, Sheilder, Laserdream, Lightstar…"

She said the final name like a curse. I groaned slowly as I glimpsed a figure in white hovering over the distance. "… and _Glory Girl_ …"

My mind spun. New Wave. I recalled faintly that they had been through Boston, but had arrived late and survived better than a lot of others. Brandish and Flashbang were missing, but otherwise the whole team was still here in strength. _They even had Lightstar with them_ , I thought groggily, _hadn't he left a while back or something?_ Apparently they had mustered together again.

And then there was Glory Girl - the super-powered cheerleader that absolutely hated Tattletale and I, back with a vengeance. Even if Glory Girl was alone - hell, even if I had my powers - she could have screwed us by herself. Oh, and they must also have Panacea with them, doubtlessly waiting in the wings. _That meant they could beat us to an inch of death without any worries_...

I would have sworn. Suddenly the swear words never seemed like enough. My heart pounded as I suddenly realised just how badly we had just been played.

 _They must have tracked my bugs_ , I realised in shock. I had been stupid, and thoughtless. The whole city had been in high alert against my powers – I had tried to keep the swarm discreet, but someone would have noticed the bugs skittering over rooftops. That someone had apparently called the New Wave.

Once they knew where the swarm was, they knew where I was within a few city blocks. After that, it was just a case of Panacea discreetly modifying enough of my bugs, using them to block my control as well as leading the New Waves straight towards the centre of the swarm. As soon as I stopped walking for long enough in the basement, the Panacea-modified sabotage bugs would have time to catch up.

And that meant I was now left trapped in a basement, surrounded by capes, and completely powerless.

"Oh fuck," I cursed as violently as possible.

Outside, Lady Photon was still reciting our rights, and the rest of the team wasn't breaking in. It must be to do with having a lawyer as a team leader – the Photon Mom was making sure that she was reading us our rights in full before anyone made a move.

I glanced down at the venomous ants crawling around inside of my jacket. I couldn't even control the bugs at all now. It was a good thing that I had designed the ants to be unaggressive even without my control, otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble. Still, I was suddenly fully aware that I had a lot of uncontrolled poisonous insects very close to my skin.

Without a moment's hesitation, I turned and I urgently stamped on any cockroaches crawling around on the floor. It was the bugs that I couldn't sense that were blocking my control. Any insect that I could see but couldn't sense, I squashed.

Tattletale grimaced and shook her head. "Don't bother," she said reluctantly. "I'm pretty sure that Panacea has made hundreds of those insects this time around. She would have created bug pheromones from microbes her skin, pulled lots of insects towards her, and then modified them dozens at a time."

My mouth dropped open. " _Hundreds?_ " I exclaimed. That meant I had to manually kill hundreds of insects, anywhere in a two block radius, before I'd be able to use my power properly again. And even if I ran, those sabotage bugs would follow me.

 _Oh fuck you Panacea_ , I thought with equal dread and anger. _Oh fuck you so hard_.

When ( _if_ , I thought with a gulp) I got back to the hideout, I was removing Amy's dossier from the list of possible recruits, and putting it straight into the 'burn in hell' pile.

Right now, my bugs were left as useless swarms that I couldn't control. My big bugs were left brain-dead vegetables, unable to operate without me and slowly dying, littering the surrounding roofs. That meant it was just Tattletale and I, the two least physically powerful members of the team, alone against heroes that massively outmatched us.

"… Oh god… this cannot get any worse, can it?" I muttered quietly.

Tattletale gulped. "…Um…" I stared at her incredulously. "One thing… it's _only_ New Wave outside, have you noticed?"

I blinked. "The Protectorate and the Wards are missing…" I realised. "Well, that's good, at least, right?"

Tattletale shook her head. "Not really…" Her body was stiff. "… because I'm pretty sure that the reason the PRT isn't present _here_ , is because they're present _elsewhere_."

Realisation struck. My eyes widened. The raid on the Merchant rally. "Grue…" I muttered with alarm. "You mean that _right now_ that _Alexandria_ is going after Grue and the others?"

My arms were shaking. Tattletale didn't reply. We stared at each other for a long time, feeling the absolute dread of the situation drop over us like a ton of bricks.

Outside, Lady Photon was still reciting out rights, while the mob was growing steadily. "…full accountability for any property damage inflicted if you resist arrest, and any damages will be added to legal charges. Anything you say may be held against you, and you have the right remain silent. If you do not surrender peacefully, we _will_ enter the premises." Her voice turned stiff. "And if you have a dispute about our use of force, you are welcome to press charges against us from prison."

There was a long silence.

For the first time I could remember, I saw Tattletale absolutely speechless.

The silence was broken from a soft sigh from the corner of the room. "Well _damn_ …" Runaway muttered finally, slowly picking up a mug from the ground and taking a sip. " _I'm_ sure as hell glad I never agreed to join up with you guys."

He looked between us disinterestedly, taking a long gulp of his drink. "Best of luck with the whole escape thing, though."


	9. Malignance 03

**Malignance 2.03**

The air was tense. I could barely breathe in the dark basement as I listened to the rumbling of heavy footsteps and yelling from above. Most of the refugees above us were either drunk, high or angry, and it didn't sound like they were cooperating with the New Wave very well. There was screaming from the street as a crowd gathered, but I didn't doubt for a second that the New Wave would lose control that easily. If the capes wanted to clear the building, they would.

And I was left standing there, feeling completely blind without my bug vision. It was like someone was injecting white noise into my skull. The pain was getting worse every second, and I couldn't even stop it.

 _Every insect in a two block radius must be crippled right now_ , I realised suddenly. I needed to get out of the basement, out of Slum City, and run as fast as I could before Panacea's cursed sabotage bugs followed me.

The only problem was the group of superheroes barring my way.

There was a loud crash from the floor above. "They're going to break in…" I muttered in panic, trying to stop my body from twitching.

Tattletale shook her head. "No…" she muttered, eyes tight with concentration. "They're independent heroes with full culpability – they're screwed if they break in and hurt anyone. They'll clear the building first before charging in… we have some time…"

My mind was racing. Even if they weren't storming in, they had us surrounded and they would be looking for anyone trying to bolt. With so many flyers in the air, trying to running would be a bad, bad option. _Not to mention there's Shielder outside as well_ , I thought with a grimace. He would doubtlessly be ready to throw up forcefields stopping anyone trying to run.

Yet we still needed to get out of here, and fast. The others would be in trouble; Grue would need help if the PRT really was going after them.

We could take hostages. That might work, but I doubted it. Even in the best case, New Wave wouldn't just leave us alone. No, that option was off the table. New Wave was doing their bit by giving fair warning and evacuating civilians first, to try and avoid any collateral damage or civilian casualties. We had to return the favour.

I glanced out onto the street, backing away from the beam of light shining through. "How much time, exactly?"

"Probably not enough," Tattletale admitted, glancing at the bugs still rolling around the floor. She looked at me worriedly. "They're still following the bugs; they know you're in here for certain… Can you, I don't know, turn off your power?"

I grimaced. "I'm not sure that I can," I admitted, trying to concentrate despite the pain. My power worked mostly autonomously – it was just something in the background of my mind. And now, that part of my brain was screaming in agony.

My breathing was hoarse. I tried to concentrate for a few minutes through the white noise, but I couldn't. I grunted with frustration. "Dammit!" _Fucking Panacea – she is worse than a Tinker,_ I thought furiously. I glanced at Tattletale with worry. "Why's Panacea doing this, she's never taken a direct role before?"

Tattletale frowned. "… It's Carol Dallon – _Brandish_ …" she muttered in concentration. "… Something must have happened…"

"Brandish isn't outside," I recalled suddenly. Panacea's mother was suspiciously absent from the New Wave members outside. _So is her father, Flashbang_ , I realised.

"Carol Dallon didn't make it out of Boston," Tattletale said firmly, clearly still forcing her power hard.

"She's dead?"

Tattletale shook her head, with a confused frown. "No – not dead, she's…" There was a pause. For a second, it looked like she was about to say something else. "… _incapacitated_."

"So then Amy's mother…"

"Her mother always used to keep her back from crime fighting, and always discouraged her from using her powers," She said with a nod. "… Now that Brandish is out, Amy is feeling a lot more… creative…"

There was another strange frown. "… Panacea must be having the time of her life…" Tattletale muttered, so quietly I could barely catch it.

I glanced worriedly back at the door. There were only two entrances to the basement – either through the stairs leading up to the ground floor, or the window where we came in. The door had been barricaded, I got the impression the inhabitants upstairs didn't even know that Runaway was down here. The window was at ankle height leading to the back alley – not very obvious and fairly well hidden among the trash cans. I might have tried running out there, if it wasn't for the flyers circling the building. As soon as I put my head out the window, they would see us, and we'd be sitting ducks.

"What's next?" I demanded, looking at Tattletale firmly. "How do we get out? Are there any other–"

"No." Tattletale cut me off, eyes narrowing. "… But I think might have an idea."

At once, she turned around and glared firmly at Runaway. The teenage fugitive was still in his corner, quietly packing up his meagre belongings littered around the floor. He looked almost disinterested in the rabble of activity outside. _Far too disinterested_ , I decided quickly. _He is a wanted supervillain too, after all_.

"You!" Tattletale said firmly, staring at him firmly. "You have an escape plan, don't you?"

He didn't reply. He didn't even look up. "There's absolutely no way that _you'd_ ever hide out in a basement if you didn't have a plan of getting out of it," Tattletale said firmly. "Running away is what you're best at. You've got a way out – hell, you've probably got several. You can get us out of here."

There was a pause. "…Why should I?" He said finally, still not looking at us. He seemed to avoid eye contact instinctively.

"You're in here with us."

He shook his head. "But they're not after me," he said simply. "They're after her."

He motioned towards me nonchalantly. "I'm pretty sure they'll happily take you into custody as well," I retorted.

"Oh sure," Runaway agreed. "And if it was the PRT outside, I'd be pretty worried about it. Still, it's not, and I'm willing to bet that a bunch of independent heroes hasn't memorised the faces of every wanted supervillain on the East Coast. All I need to do is walk out of here as a civilian, and they've got no reason to look twice at me."

"You sure about that?" Tattletale challenged.

"Yep," he said with a shrug. "I'm too short to be Grue, wrong hair colour for Regent, wrong build anyways. They'll be looking at anyone leaving the building, but they won't look twice at me."

I frowned in confusion, before glancing at Tattletale for confirmation. "The New Wave doesn't know for sure who exactly they're dealing with," she explained simply. "It's why they're being so cautious. They don't know how many Undersiders, or whether they're in costume or not, so they're evacuating the building slowly. If we leave here even out of costume, we won't be able to slip by them."

I felt my gut clench. Lisa was right – the last ditch option we had was off the table. Even if we were in plain clothes, if there were two girls leaving the building, right sort of age and build, not to mention our hair – we'd be identified as Skitter and Tattletale instantly.

"Then help us," Tattletale insisted, glaring at Runaway. "You've got an escape route, don't you? Probably one locked so only a guy with telekinetic claws can get through it? Get us out of here, and we'd owe you."

He shook his head almost sadly. "Too much of a risk, particularly when I could just walk out without any problem," he said with a shrug. "And besides, they're tracking _her_ , right? They'll be able to follow her, and I don't want to get caught up in that."

There was a tense moment of silence. It sounded like there was a shouting match happening in the street above. Tattletale pursed her lips tightly, thinking intently. I saw her eyes flicker.

"You won't be able to walk out that easily," Tattletale said carefully. "… because if Skitter or I get captured, I'll be sure to point you out in the crowd."

Runaway didn't react straight away. He paused, scratching his chin slowly as he flexed his fingers almost experimentally. His voice was low, thoughtful. "… You're right," he conceded. "…That would be pretty bad –"

"Never mind," Tattletale interrupted suddenly, her voice urgent as she walked away. "Doesn't matter, we can escape without you."

I blinked in confusion, but Tattletale was already grabbing my arm and pulling me across the room. I looked between her and Runaway with puzzlement.

"What was that?" I hissed quietly.

"I might have made a mistake there," she admitted. "He's now thinking about killing us."

" _What?!_ "

"His fingers," Tattletale explained quickly. "He always flexes his fingers while he's debating murdering someone."

My mouth dropped open. I glanced around, to see Runaway still sitting in the exit same position, hood covering his head, while he absentmindedly scratched at a nearby box. He looked exactly as calm as he had been ever since New Wave arrived. We were both absolutely freaking out, but he was looking even more relaxed than he had been when we'd first arrived.

"He's thinking that maybe it might be better if he kills us now, to stop us from telling the heroes about him. He's wondering if _you_ die, then the bugs will stop following you and the New Wave will lose interest," Tattletale muttered, her voice low. "... It's probably best if we're out of here before he has to make that decision."

She couldn't see it behind my mask, but I was staring at her incredulously. Tattletale twitched and looked at me apologetically. "Ok, so maybe his violent reputation might be deserved," she admitted.

And just when I thought the situation couldn't get any worse. Turns out we weren't trapped in a basement, powerless, against a team of capes – we were actually trapped in a basement along with a murderer.

I gulped. _Damn, the pounding in my head made it so hard to even think_. "Please tell me you've got another plan?" I said quietly. The rumbling from upstairs was getting quieter. That was not reassuring.

Tattletale gulped. "I'm working on it." A shot of pain flashed across her face, and her hand went to her forehead. "…I'm going to have one hell of a headache tomorrow…" She muttered miserably, under her breath. Between finding Runaway, then talking to him, and then trying to scout out New Wave, Tattletale had been spamming her power a lot very quickly.

I knew the feeling. My skull felt like it was about to burst open. My heart was pounding, I was nearly hyperventilating with panic, and it was the like the walls were closing in on me with noise and scream from the street outside. Still, it was my head that was in absolute agony. It felt like there was a chainsaw in my skull tearing me open.

 _What the hell was I supposed to do now?_ I wondered furiously. Judging from the panic on Tattletale's face, she didn't have any answers either. My hands clenched in determination, trying to focus despite everything happening around me.

My eyes narrowed as I glared at Runaway, quietly folding up his clothes into small rucksack, looking absolutely calm, but it was right hand was still clenching and unclenching slowly. _The one person who might actually be able to get us out of here is also the person most likely to kill us_ , I thought bitterly.

"Just how seriously is he considering killing us?" I asked Tattletale under my breath.

She glanced in his direction. "Pretty damn seriously."

My hands clenched in to fists. The adrenaline rushed through my body. My eyes narrowed.

 _Oh screw it_ , I thought with sudden determination, _I haven't survived this long by being cautious_.

In an instant, my hands were pulling out my cell phone, instinctively searching through the numbers as I charged up straight up to Runaway. He looked up at me in mild surprise, just as I had pulled the phone up to ear and hit the dial button.

I had a plan. It was the type of plan that could either save my life or get me killed.

 _I really wished I knew which one it was going to be_ , I thought with a pang of doubt, just as I took a deep breath, swallowed my pride, and screamed into the phone.

The call was answered instantly.

"Ah! Help me, PRT hotline?! Please… you've got to help…!" I screamed almost incoherently. I didn't really have to fake the panic in my voice. The operator on the other end tried to get to me to calm down, but I didn't give him a chance. "Please help… We're in Slum City, a bar, on the corner of West Street… please, the New Wave is outside, they're trying to break in… Me and my friend are being held hostage… oh god… he's threatening to kill us…!"

My voice quivered. Tattletale's mouth dropped open, but I couldn't hesitate now. "You've got to help! He says his name is Dylan Green… _Cutthroat…_! He's in the building now, he's going to kill–"

I hung up midsentence and dropped the phone. The abrupt end was met by nearly five seconds of stunned silence. I held my breath.

"There we go," I said finally, folding my arms as I glared at Runaway. "Now they know for sure that you're in here. I'm betting they'll be transferring your photo to New Wave as we speak." I took a deep breath. "But don't worry, fortunately for you, _we're_ willing to help _you_ escape."

Runaway's hands clenched. That was not reassuring. He hesitated, glaring at me from under his hood. "You should not have done that…" he muttered slowly, carefully flexing as he stood up from the boxes.

There was a click from behind me. Tattletale suddenly had her handgun drawn, pointing it at Runaway threateningly. "Skitter, I would back away now if I was you," Tattletale warned.

I forced myself to say still. We were about three feet away. I wondered how quickly those claws of his could get me, before deciding that I really didn't want to find out. Still, I forced myself not to back away, and instead glared at him, standing my ground.

It was the same approach I took with Bitch whenever she was being objectionable.

"Well?" I muttered quietly. "What's it going to be? We can either fight or work together, which one do you want?"

I couldn't see his eyes under his hood, but his posture was tense. His shoulders were slouched, his head lowered slightly, but it felt like he was almost coiled, readying himself to strike.

"Back down, Cutthroat!" Tattletale ordered from behind me, still clenching the gun. "You're not bulletproof."

"And you're not slash-proof, either…" he muttered, his voice a dull monotone. His fingers were twitching.

Slowly, and with a pang of fear, I wondered if I had completely misjudged him. When we had first arrived, I had sized him up as a scared teenager. He had been quiet, but nervous, almost twitchy. Now, there was none of that earlier emotion. He looked almost completely calm, cold.

Still, there was something about his body language that made my heart race. I suddenly realised why I had instantly been comparing him to Rachel – he now had the same sort of body language. Feral, almost, but restrained. Barely.

"So then what's the plan now?" Tattletale challenged. It was a good thing she was talking, because I was suddenly re-evaluating the wisdom of my 'plan'. "Are you going to bite our heads off, wait until New Wave comes charging in here, and face all the heroes by yourself? You remember how well that ended up for you the _last time_?"

His eyes flickered, turning to glare at Tattletale slowly. He didn't saw a word, never even moved a muscle. _God_ , I realised slowly, _someone was pointing a gun at him, he was trapped in a basement, but he wasn't even trembling_.

"Face it, we're now the best friends you've got," Tattletale continued. "And come on, you're not that insane _yet_ , are you?"

There was a pause. The question was phrased so weirdly I couldn't understand it, but Runaway seemed to. He twitched slightly, before his mouth twisted into a small, humourless smirk.

"You know how my power works, don't you?" He asked finally, looking at Tattletale.

"Yep. More or less." Tattletale nodded. I never had a clue, but I had learned to stay quiet while she was working her magic. "What percentage are you on now? Twenty? Twenty-five?"

" _Thirty percent_ ," Runaway said. "And I imagine I'll have to knock that up a bit further once the fighting starts. For your sake, please don't push me any further. You wouldn't want to find out what happens when I go over half way."

I honestly didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but I nodded anyways. Runaway just sighed softly, relaxing slightly. He cracked his knuckles as he walked past me without even glance.

"Alright then," he said nonchalantly, as if the earlier standoff hadn't just happened. "I've got three different escape routes. One of them is through the upstairs – not safe anymore, the other is out the front – obviously not an option. That just leaves one. In the alley behind us, there's a drain leading to the main sewers. I've already scouted out a route. It's pitch black, a complete maze, and I've set up traps. We get to there, we lose them underground."

I blinked. "And how do we get out?"

He slowly pulled a pile of crates out the way to reveal a bare brick wall. I couldn't see anything different about the wall, but then he gently pressed up against a brick towards the top and the brick wobbled. "I've already cut through it partly," he explained, gently tracing his finger over the stone. "One last cut, this wall come down, and we've got a fifty yards sprint straight to the manhole cover. Take them by surprise. I'll have to cut through the cover, of course."

"Fifty yards," Tattletale repeated. "They'll be watching for anyone running, we might not get that far."

He nodded. "True, but they're spread out the front, as well as inside the building. There won't be enough left to stop us easily." He paused. "But you're right. We'll need a distraction."

Runaway pointed towards another wall at the other side of the basement. _"That_ is the main support bearing foundation for the building. I've already cut through it partly. Another slice, the building above will come down, that'll be our distraction, and then we'll run."

I frowned. There were still footsteps from upstairs. "You're going to bring the building down? What about the people still in it?"

"What about them?"

I frowned. "Someone might die."

For a second, Runaway appeared almost confused by the statement. "Yes," he said slowly, as if he had to stop to figure it out. "I suppose that would be bad. Fine, we'll wait until the New Wave are done evacuating everyone, then we crash the building."

He paused for a second, and then went to continuing packing up his rucksack that like nothing had changed. I stared at him incredulously, before walking back to Tattletale. Tattletale only just lowered her gun.

"What the hell is with him?" I hissed, motioning at Runaway. "And what we're you talking about before?"

Tattletale hesitated. "He's got… well… I suppose you could call them secondary powers," she explained awkwardly. "Right now, though, he's on our side. Whether he _stays_ on our side, well, that depends on which direction he goes."

"What the hell does that even mean?" I demanded.

"I'll explain later," she said. "But right now, I've reckon we've got about five minutes before they work through the building. Get ready to run. We're going to need bug support."

I grimaced. "I can't… Panacea is blocked me off…"

"Well, figure it out," Tattletale said with a gulp already walking away. " _You're_ the Tinker. Now then, I've got to see about making a riot…"

My fists clenched, but there was no time. Tattletale had to concentrate to use her power, while Runaway was focused on carefully tracing his fingers in slow arcs across the brick wall. I couldn't see the cuts he was making, but I guessed they must be there.

 _Five minutes_ , I thought with panic. Optimistically. That really wasn't a lot of time to prepare to run for your life.

Outside I could hear screaming and bottles being thrown. It was definitely drawing a crowd quickly, but the New Wave was managing to keep control. The lead of Photon Mom was turning the affair into a parade.

 _It couldn't be going easily for them_ , I thought, _and they were making problems for themselves_. They were suspicious of anyone who could be a member of the Undersiders, which meant they had kept keep close eye on anyone leaving the building, and sort through them slowly. It was the middle of the night, I imagine that people really didn't appreciate being woken up by a gang of heroes asking them to evacuate.

It must certainly didn't help that a lot of those people were homeless, drunk and very angry even on a good day. Upstairs, I could hear people screaming, ranting, through punches and breaking glasses against the heroes that were politely but insistently trying to sort through them.

Through the foggy window, I could see Glory Girl acting as crowd control, trying to keep the people calm while her family struggled to empty the building and secure it at the same time. As far as I could see, it was only Glory Girl's aura that was keeping people back.

Still, it wasn't a riot, and New Wave was firmly in control. As soon as they found us, then all of their problems would disappear and it would be a very short fight for them. If they captured us, they could fly away and it would still be a big win.

One thing I couldn't see, though; Panacea wasn't with her family. The healer was nowhere to be sign among the capes out front. Her costume was fairly distinctive, but I couldn't even glimpse it.

 _Of course not_ , I realised, _they're keeping Panacea hidden among the crowd – out of costume, not so recognisable_. Overall, Panacea's contribution to this battle was discreet enough it wouldn't be too obvious. Keep Amy Dallon out of sight, and there's no evidence that she messed with my bugs at all, really – maybe they wanted to keep her powers hidden? _No_ , I decided, _more likely they just don't want to make her a target_. Pretty sensible, but I instantly started thinking of ways I could exploit it.

I could feel the every second ticking by. Runaway was ready, bracing himself to run, just waiting for Tattletale's signal. I tried to imagine how it happen. _All I had to do was run out of a collapsing building, through a brick wall, past a perimeter of superheroes_ , I thought with a gulp. _Without powers_. _No biggie_.

I grunted as I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. Tattletale was right. I needed to figure this one out.

The white noise in my head was agonising. I gasped as I tried to focus on it, but the pain was too much. It was like static burning through my pain.

I took a deep breath and tried again, my body tensing. I was trapped, I realised. Trapped in a basement, trapped my own head. That feeling of isolation… confinement… it was suffocating.

I paused as I remembered the last time I felt like that.

After a moment's hesitation, I stopped trying to fight the feeling and just let it all in.

At once, the static in my head burst into life. I gasped in shock, the pain was still intense, but it was different. I could understand it better.

 _Feelings of confinement_ , I thought with sudden clarity. That was what my powers triggered on, _that's_ what gives me access to my abilities. I had to keep on pushing it, trying to work through the pain.

I nearly screamed as I clutched my head. Still, I pushed onwards. I half expected my nose to start bleeding as blood vessels burst, but instead there was just mind-numbing pain. Tenuously, I forced my way through the static, until finally I managed to feel the bugs again.

The swarm had never gone anywhere, they had just been hidden under all that white noise. I could feel the outline of their presence, but it was weak, blurry. With a grunt, I focused on one particular spider outside and I tried desperately to get to move. I could feel its legs twitching, maybe? It was so hard to tell – the connection was like a blurry television screen compared to its usual high-definition.

 _Come on_ , I thought frantically. _Figure it out_ …

How had Panacea done this? At first, during the bank, I thought it had been like splicing a camera feed on a continuous loop, making the bugs repeat the same signals over and over again. The interference kept on building up, hurting my powers more and more.

She made bugs that I couldn't control and my powers didn't like that. They couldn't handle it. It was like throwing a wrench into the gears of a well-oil machine, the cogs becoming more and more chewed up each time they tried to work…

I kept on pushing even harder. The static roared, increasing intensity in response. I grunted, pushing harder and harder…

And suddenly everything in my head shot into focus.

I gasped. Everything burst into clarity as if I had just put on spectacles for the first time.

The static wasn't static at all. It was instructions. My instructions, the ones that I had been trying to give my bugs, just delayed, jumbled and pumped backwards in a constant loop.

 _No…_ I realised as a picture emerged into my mind. I didn't know how I could visualise it, I just could. _My powers aren't like the gears of a machine at all… it was more like a computer program_.

It was a giant, infinitely complex set of programming. It was a script of simple instructions, but so, so many of them it built up something approaching actual intelligence and it just ran through the code in sequence. It didn't matter what the input was, it didn't matter what it was actually controlling – orders were orders, data was data and the program just ran through each sequence.

It was so massively sophisticated, so mind-blowingly complex I couldn't even begin to comprehend it all, yet also so _simple_ … like a pocket calculator scaled up towards infinitely…

 _Ok_ , part of me thought dumbly, _apparently my Tinker powers scaled up with my feelings of confinement as well… dammit, am I going to have to start Tinkering while locked in a cardboard box now…?_

Still, the understanding was flowing through me, and I didn't dare slow it down. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

 _This is pure administration_ , I realised. That was basically all my powers were – the ability to control, to work together, and then _to get better_ at working together. The ability for a system to optimise, like a program that had designed itself to constantly co-ordinate, calibrate, and improve in a never-ending loop…

In some ways it was beyond intelligent, yet at its core it was just so _stupid_. It was pure logic and no intelligence – so simple that all it took was a brain-damaged insect for it to trip up and lock itself into an error message…

Instantly, I realised that the reason my powers weren't working was because Panacea had stumbled onto a way of locking me into the equivalent of the blue screen of death.

It was like my Master powers were the main body of program, my Thinker powers were the registers keeping tracking of everything, but my Tinker powers were the user's guide – the instructions explaining how to use the program properly.

I only had a fragmented, distorted version of all three, but they were optimising… or at least trying to… slowly piecing themselves together and continuing to improve, in that dumb iterative way that they worked…

 _Ok_ , I thought frantically, feeling my body trembling. Oh boy _am I going to freak out about that later, but right now, how do I get out of here? How do I turn my powers back on?_

The answer came quickly. I couldn't. Not straight away, at least. I couldn't change the fundamental way my power worked that easily.

There was no time to obsess over that answer. I had to just gulp and try and find a way around it. _Ok… if I can't control the bugs… what can I do…?_

Maybe I never needed to _control_ them. Would it be enough just to send them wild?

My powers could control things, it didn't matter what. Each individual bug was too bogged down in static for me to send any useful orders through – they weren't receiving them properly. For every useful order they received, there were a hundred random orders in static bombarding them with impossible commands.

Still, if I couldn't control the bugs, could I control the static?

Slowly, I took a deep breath and mentally widened my powers. I focused on the swarm as whole, trying to find some rhythm in the haze of random static. _Come on… come on_ … I thought frantically. _Give me something to control_ …

" – ylor! Taylor!" Tattletale was hissing in my ear, shaking my arm. How long had had she been calling me? I dropped out of my head, suddenly aware of the real world again. "Come on, we've got to go!"

I hesitated. I had been _so_ close. "Hold on, give me a second!" I insisted, trying to power through the white noise in my head.

She glared at me in the dark. "Whatever you're trying to do, do it fast…!" She hissed.

From the upstairs, I could hear booming steps directly above us. Even despite the rumble in the background, I heard a voice cut through it.

" – hey!" a man called. "Come here! I think there's a basement under here!"

There was a rumble of a person slamming against the door. It was barricaded, but that wouldn't last for long.

"Oh fuck," Tattletale cursed. "…and now they've found our hiding place…"

I had to hurry. I tried to block out all distraction, focusing on the white noise in my head. Come on… come on…

There were footsteps climbing down the stairs. Tattletale looked panicked. She turned to Runaway urgently. "Quickly, threaten me!" She hissed.

He frowned, cracking his knuckles, as he stood ready to bolt. "Why?"

"Just do it! Threaten me, loudly!" She demanded.

He didn't say a word. Tattletale groaned, rolled her eyes, and cleared her throat. " _Stay back!_ " She screamed, in her best impression of gruff man's throaty voice. " _I've got hostages!_ "

With that, she unloaded the pistol twice at the wall. The footsteps stopped. " _I mean it!_ " Tattletale roared, still in her best man's voice impression. " _I'll shoot them!_ "

She motioned between us desperately, like a stage director begging for one of her actors to react. I was too busy concentrating; I couldn't afford the distraction of even opening my mouth. Tattletale turned to Runaway pleadingly.

He sighed, and then, suddenly, shrieked. " _Ahhh!_ " His voice was as fake and as high-pitched as he could possibly make it. Tattletale face-palmed. "Please don't let the mean man hurt us!"

The heroes outside paused, clearly hesitating. Runaway turned to Tattletale incredulously. "What the hell are you doing?" He groaned.

"Buying time!" Tattletale hissed, before turning to scream in her deep voice again. " _Stay back! I want a hostage negotiator! I'll shoot them, I swear it!_ " Tattletale turned to screech at me. "Come on, Skitter, hurry it up…"

They were hesitating outside. There was either a hostage situation or an amateur theatre performance happening in the basement, and it was hard to tell which. Still, there was no time. I could only grunt as I forced my power just a little bit further, twisting my control in a different way…

And then everything clicked into place. Suddenly I could feel the swarm again.

The expansion of my senses was mindboggling. The static was still there, but it didn't hurt anymore. Suddenly I could feel the street again, of all the flies and bugs buzzing around the neighbourhood. My control was back.

But it was different. I wasn't controlling the individual bugs anymore, I was controlling the swarm as a whole. It felt awkward, leading trying to steer a truck when you were used to a pedal bike. Everything was fuzzy, no fine control, so many awkward sensations blurring together…

 _I can't give individual orders to any single bug_ , I realised suddenly. _Instead, I can only transmit the_ same _order to every bug in my range_. There was still too much feedback for precise control; I could only get around it by transmitting the exact same order at once. It was the only way to totally bypass the effect of the sabotage bugs. It hurt, but my power was managing it.

 _Ok, so my multitasking powers are useless here_. Still, there was no time left. My power was severely hampered, but I just had to make do.

 _Move_ , I ordered mentally, and around me I felt every bug in the neighbourhood jump into life.

But it was more than just in the neighbourhood. It felt further than two blocks, much further. Shit, my control is gone but my range was further. I had no idea how far it spread, there was no reference to base it on in my limited swarm sense, but it was a _lot_ of bugs.

 _My control is slashed, but my range is boosted_ , I realised dumbly. I added that to list of things I was going to obsess over.

Most of my unique bugs had dispersed when I went powerless, but there were still a lot of insects around. I just told them to move. I couldn't specify how exactly; I was forced to try and order everything from flies, spiders and worms to move all in the same way, and that just clearly didn't work. It was messy, like using a giant hammer when you needed a hundred scalpels, but I just had to force it.

And outside, I heard the crescendo as suddenly hundreds of thousands of bugs burst into life all at once. It was enough to overpower even the crowd, shocking them as suddenly every single insect around went absolutely wild and tried to move randomly.

It was enough of a distraction, at least. The hammering from the door paused. My mind spun as I tried to think of what do next. If ordered the bugs to attack, they'd attack _everyone_. Hell, they'd even attack me as well – I couldn't control targets at all anymore. My new range was suddenly another disadvantage – there were far too many civilians that would get hurt.

 _So what_ could _I do?_ I thought furiously, trying to think of something. My bug vision was forming now, at least, creating a vague 3D topographical map of my surroundings, formed by the jumbled senses of every insect at once. It was vague, but I tried to focus it, turning my attention directly to the street outside.

I could pick out the shapes of the heroes, standing the front or flying around the street, staring at my monster swarm with shock. I could see the rabble of civilians around. There was too much activity to process all at once, but I forced myself to narrow it down.

I even managed to pick out the figure of Amy, standing out of the way from the crowd, inconspicuous in a blue hoodie and hiding on the corner of an alleyway. She seemed more stunned than anyone by the swarm of bugs. I only recognised her because she had several of her sabotage bugs still on her body, and those bugs were the only ones with a very distinctive feel when I was in full-swarm control.

I could have screamed in frustration. I finally had my swarm back again, but it was useless. I couldn't use in it in the same way, it was so hard to even get any reaction out of all the bugs. I knew fine well that it would be mass panic if I ordered it every bug to be aggressive, but the damage would be too high.

Still, without my swarm to help, we were left as just three fairly weak villains against a powerful team of heroes. I had to do _something_.

Even with my eyes closed, an image of Lisa flashed before my eyes. _There is one thing I can do_ , I realised. _I could speak_.

My swarm-talk should still work, so long as they were all trying to make the noise together. With a push, I ordered every single bug to start clicking mandibles or buzzing wings. My admin powers sorted through it easily, organising it into the different noises and crescendos, mimicking syllables. At once, a booming voice erupted from the huge swarm outside.

"THIS IS SKITTER!" My swarm-voice roared. It wasn't anywhere as smooth as my usual swarm voice, but it was legible. Barely. Still, it was much, much louder than usual. Definitely enough to get people's attention. "YOU ALL KNOW WHO I AM, YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I CAN DO…!"

That was enough to stun them. Lady Photon was screaming orders at the heroes, telling them to get ready, while I had to pause just to think about what I was going to say next.

With a pang of fear, I was instantly aware that I was totally making this up as I went…

… I could have tried to reason with them. I could have negotiated, maybe stalled for time. I could have even threatened them, or I could have made up some demands, lied or even just tried to lead them away. All I needed was for something to distract them long enough for us to run.

There were dozens of options out there, but I could only pick one. And I had to make sure I picked a good one. There were too many people relying on me, and I had approximately one sentence to make the maximum impact possible…

The swarm was saying the words before I even finalised the plan. "THIS IS SKITTER!" The swarm boomed, shouting at the mob. "…AND I WILL PAY ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO WHOEVER GETS THE BROWN HAIRED GIRL IN THE BLUE HOODIE STANDING BY THE CORNER!"

… so I might have escalated the situation a bit…


	10. Malignance 04

**Malignance 1.04**

 _Run_.

That single word pretty much described the situation we were in.

There was no time to watch how the crowd would react, because suddenly the door exploded into splinters and two figures came charging in. My feet were pounding against the ground in a second.

Through the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Runaway slicing his hands down against the wall in a diagonal arc. The stone cracked even before he finished the cut. Suddenly, the whole building trembled dangerously, the whole front wall cracking and slumping with the sound of splintering.

Runaway barely had time to move as suddenly two hovering, flickering projectiles burst towards him and exploded, sending him flying backwards with a concussive blasts.

I was still sprinting, but I never made it three metres before suddenly a strong hand grabbed my leg and dragged me down. I twisted around and kicked upwards, but it felt like my foot was repelled backwards even before I collided with anything solid.

I gasped as I suddenly recognised the two heroes that had came through the door. Manpower and Lightstar. _The only two non-fliers of the group_ , I thought suddenly. _Of course they would send those two into the building_.

Manpower grabbed me, and he was too strong. He was seven foot tall, athletic build, white costume, and with a revolving electromagnetic shield around him granting enhanced strength and durability. I thrashed and kicked, but it felt like trying to kick a brick wall as he roughly grabbed me up.

I glimpsed Runaway staggering to his feet, just as another two projectile orbs from Lightstar knocked him down again.

The building was still cracking, dust flying of the ceiling dangerously. I heard Lightstar scream something at Manpower, but I could make it out over the noise of the collapsing structure and the roar of the crowd outside. I thrashed and struggled, but Manpower was holding me from behind, arms pinning mine to my torso, as he lifted me physically off the ground.

"Hey!" Tattletale screamed suddenly, glaring at Manpower as she hoisted up her gun. "Your marriage is falling apart! She stopped loving you years ago – she's only staying with you for the children and even _they're_ growing up."

The words cut through the air. I felt Manpower hesitate slightly, and that was just enough for me to twist into a better position. My legs kicked off against a nearby crate, pushing backwards, as Manpower lost his footing. _Super-strength didn't mean super-leverage_ , I thought furiously, as we both toppled backwards.

The fall didn't hurt him at all, but it took him by surprise and I recovered first. As soon as Manpower tried to get to his feet again, my hand was in his face as I squeezed down on the nozzle of my pepper spray. He screamed as the capsicum hit his eyes, and he struggled off the floor.

"Sarah lied to you!" Tattletale bellowed at Lightstar, while firing her handgun at him in quick succession. She deliberately shot wide, aiming at the wall, but Lightstar never realised that and he still jumped back through the doorway for cover. He tried to return fire with his projectile orbs, but the gun was faster. "New Wave hasn't changed at all – she just lied to get you to come back because she was scared the team might disband!"

I gasped for breath, but there was no time. Runaway was staggering to his feet, and with a click Tattletale was suddenly out of bullets. All three of us were sprinting towards the far wall, when instantly Lightstar was behind us, generating half a dozen shots of flickering orbs that shot towards us in a furious onslaught.

I jumped up onto the crates, bracing myself for impact against the wall as suddenly the orbs detonated. The force lifted me straight off the ground and slammed roughly into the wall, but the bricks just toppled easily. The wall had already been cut apart – the brick were more just resting on each rather than being held together.

Still, the impact hurt. A lot.

I gasped in pain, my whole body wincing as I dragged myself up over the rubble and onto the alleyway outside. Tattletale was behind me, and I helped pull her out just as Lightstar unleashed another shot towards Tattletale and I.

For a second, I was frozen as I saw the orb shoot towards me, but then suddenly Runaway was in front of Tattletale like a human shield. The detonation sent him crashing backwards, but he was dragging himself up a minute later, panting furiously.

 _He can take a punch, that's for sure_ , I thought suddenly, as I struggled to heave Tattletale upwards. _I only took one of Lightstar's explosions and even that it felt like it pulverised my organs. Runaway must have just taken several in short succession but he was still getting up again_.

Then, I saw Runaway drag his hands across the nearby wall as he rushed to the hole leading to the alley. There was no time to think anymore as suddenly the building shuddered and cracked louder than ever before. The whole building was coming down fast.

I saw the doubt and panic flashing through Lightstar's face. Manpower was still on the floor, cursing as he tried to wipe his eyes, but then again Manpower had super-durability. Lightstar didn't. He wouldn't survive the building coming down, and his explosions weren't helping the structural stability either. After a brief moment of hesitation, Lightstar abandoned the attack and turned and ran, doubtlessly trying to reach the main entrance before things started to crash around him.

It was a smart move. I could already see the wooden supports giving way, even as I reached down to try and pull Runaway out. Instead, he completely ignored my hand with a grunt, and struggled as he dragged himself up by himself.

Outside was complete chaos. The crowd had officially turned into a mob. Laserdream and Lady Photon were both struggling with crowd control, but reasoning was useless here. All of that anger that had been brewing in the neighbourhood had just boiled over. I had only given it an excuse.

I had been vaguely aware of Glory Girl dragging Panacea out of the crowd and flying her to safety, but she hadn't exactly been gentle about it. Glory Girl's aura reacted differently depending on how people perceived her and how she perceived others. When she wasn't focusing it with hostility, it could subdue people. When she did focus against the crowd as a threat, it was the emotional equivalent of a steam train blasting straight down the street.

 _Glory Girl reacted too quickly_ , I realised. She never even waited to see if anyone even took my offer before she went barrelling in to help Amy. That had the final straw before the riot really kicked off.

 _I wanted a distraction_ , I thought with a gulp. _Yep, I'd say that'd do it_ …

I was still panting, my body sore and my head spinning, but slowly I focused on the manhole cover down the street, exactly where Runaway said it would be. Suddenly, fifty yards seemed like a very long distance…

I need bugs. I still had my swarm, but I couldn't do anything with it. The best I could achieve was thousands of insects chaotically flying through the air, but that was only useful so far. I had to find a way of getting rid of all of those sabotage bugs…

As far I could see, I had discovered a different way of operating my power. It was like I had two 'modes' of operation; I could either control individual bugs, which gave me very precise control and short range, or I could control the whole swarm, which gave me absolutely horrible control but long range.

I couldn't do both, and the only reason I was getting around Amy's sabotage bugs was because my control was so bad. _All of that time I spent trying to boost my range_ , I thought bitterly, thinking back to the relay swarms, _and now that I finally did it turned out to be useless_.

I took a moment to catch my breath, while Runaway stood up and limped determinedly down the alley. _Damn, there is only one solution left, but it isn't a very nice one_ …

With a sigh, I closed my eyes and mentally transmitted the order for all of the bugs to kill themselves. Suddenly, it started raining insects as all of the bugs started dropping out of the air.

Even though I wasn't getting precise feedback, the sense of all of those bugs started to commit suicide still sent shivers down my spine. It was a calculated risk, but the only way I could conceivable get my control back quickly.

I ordered every insect to spasm, to stop breathing, and for their bodies to shut down and suffocate. I was pretty sure that the sabotage bugs were still receiving _some_ of my orders, at least, they just weren't receiving them very well. _If I was only transmitting one order_ , I reasoned, _then the static would consist solely of that order and sabotage bugs should be receiving that order too_. That meant that if I killed off my entire swarm, the sabotage bugs should die along with them.

Even in the first few seconds, I could feel thousands of bugs dying in droves. Others were still have seizures. I was also pretty sure that whatever Amy did to mess up my bugs, that couldn't have been healthy for them. You couldn't give an organism brain damage and expect it to survive for long. It would be the weakest and oldest bugs that died first, and the strongest that would manage to last the longest.

Hopefully, so long as the sabotage bugs were one of the first ones to die, then my control would return pretty quickly, I could revoke the suicide order, and I'd still have enough of a swarm left to be useful.

Hopefully.

 _Otherwise I would end up with full control back, but absolutely no bugs to control_ , I thought with a gulp.

With a thought, I focused on my control and changed my 'mode' again back to normal, and suddenly the headache returned and images of dying insects flashed into my head, but I blocked them both out. As soon as my headache disappeared I'd know that all of the sabotage bugs were dead.

Still, that didn't help me right now. Right now I just had to keep on running and hope my gambit paid off.

Tattletale's body was weak and limp, she was having trouble moving. With a gulp, I dragged her arm over my shoulder and tried to pull her up. I half-stumbled, half-ran, my feet crunching over the bodies of dying insects with every step.

 _I could do this_ , I thought furiously. Glory Girl would be trying to find a safe place to put Panacea down, but that'd be difficult as suddenly my swarm seemed to stretch much longer. Manpower was being buried under a building, Lightstar would be running around the front. Lady Photon and Laserdream would be trying to stop the riot, and that only left…

Suddenly, I felt something heavy hit me like a solid wall. It sent both Tattletale and I crashing to the ground. My body felt so battered already that I nearly collapsed. Through my spinning head, I glimpsed a figure in a white bodysuit with a blue-tinted visor and blue hair hovering above me.

Fuck. _Shielder_.

Runaway was sent crashing to the ground a second later as a forcefield hit him. Around us, the air was glowing with a blue tinge as suddenly he formed a hard light barrier surrounding us, boxing us in, as he flew safely out of reach. I dragged myself up and pounded uselessly against the wall, while Tattletale shambled to her feet, panting for breath.

"Let us go right now," Tattletale shouted wheezily, her voice dark. "Because if we're captured I'll tell the whole world that you're gay."

Even from this distance, I could see Shielder's mouth drop open. Then, Runaway was up as well, reaching towards the barrier with his fingers. About an inch and a half away, his invisible claws cut through it with ease, and then suddenly the whole barrier burst like a bubble.

I breathed a breath of relief as then we were pushing through. Sheilder was hovering ahead, suddenly looking uncertain.

"Oh thank you," I muttered in relief towards Runaway, reaching out to steady myself uncertainly.

He flinched as my hand approached. Suddenly, he glared at me with such viciousness it caught me off-guard. " _Don't touch me_ ," Runaway snarled with a furious glare, as he pulled up his hood to hide his face and kept on running.

My eyes widened in shock, but then Tattletale was there to push me forward. From the corner of my eyes, I suddenly glimpsed the glowing shapes of Lady Photon and Laserdream, abandoning the useless attempts at crowd control and flying towards us.

 _Oh come on!_ I thought with panic, just as the blasts of hard light came shooting towards us. I gathered up whatever strength I had left, grabbed Tattletale, and sprinted forward.

Runaway was there first. His fingers cleaved easily through the metal of manhole cover like a hot knife through butter, shredding the metal into ribbons, and then suddenly the cover was snapping into pieces and he half-leapt, half stumbled straight into the sewers.

There was no time for any sort of graceful approach, so instead I just had to drop, dragging Tattletale with me. We fell two and a half metres with a dull 'oomph' as one of the hard light blasts hit into my back, landing roughly onto a hard ground and in nearly two inches of gunky, foul water.

 _Oh great_ , I thought bitterly, caught between gasping for air and trying desperately to keep my mouth shut. Just when I thought this night couldn't get any worse. _Sewer water_.

Laserdream and Lady Photon were still hovering outside, shooting blasts of light through the narrow manhole uselessly. Tattletale was there, grabbing my shoulder as she helped me up weakly, while Runaway fumbled with something by the entrance. There was a pop, and a cloud of smoke hissed out, obscuring the hole and keeping the New Wave back. A smoke grenade, I realised. Runaway had said that he had booby-trapped the escape route.

It was pitch black in the sewers, but fortunately I had a torch in my compartment. The sewers were narrow, cramped, and so low that I could barely stand up straight without hitting my head. Still, we kept on running, splashing through the water and trying desperately not to think about what we standing in, while New Wave were left useless standing at the entrance. I didn't blame them. If any of the fliers tried to descend through the narrow hole, they would be left as easy pickings for Runaway's claws if he was hiding by entrance. No one wanted to take the chance that he wasn't.

We ran for nearly twenty seconds when suddenly Runaway stopped, keeling over as if in pain as he clutched his chest.

"Are you alrigh–" I asked worriedly.

" _Go_." The voice was a snarl, but at the same time it sounded almost pained. "Go. Get out of here."

I hesitated, uncertain, but Tattletale seemed to understand. Hell, Tattletale always understood and I was tired of feeling lost. "Come on," she hissed quietly, dragging me away from Runaway insistently. "Let's just go."

We started half-running, half-jogging again. The sewers were a maze, but it seemed like Tattletale could pick up on the trail that Runaway left as well. "Why?" I hissed. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

She hesitated. "He's not a safe person to be around anymore," she said finally, her voice low. "Come on, he can handle himself."

I wanted to press for more information, when instantly I felt my headache disappear. At last. All of the sabotage bugs must now be dead. I quickly dived into my powers, trying to recover whatever was left of my swarm, only to feel a punch of dread as very few replied. There were barely three hundred insects still left alive, and even most of those were useless ones like slugs and worms. Damn, the bug population of Brockton Bay must have just took a beating in the last five minutes.

Still, I set about gathering what I could. I was moving now and as my range changed I should hopefully reach new bugs. Maybe I could even switch between long range and short range control to try and draw the bugs in quickly and keep control of them. It would still be awkward, and slow. Too many bugs had died and it would take a while time for me to recover my swarm. I tried to focus, stretching my powers as far as they would go as I gathered my swarm.

I had to switch into long range, focus on a single group of bugs and give them orders to come here (all the while I inadvertently told all other bugs to go in useless directions), and then quickly switch to short range to keep control of the bugs that I already had. It was messy, and exhausting. My powers hadn't adapted to the difference between long and short range yet, I had do it mentally.

We emerged into a central drain, more spacious and with walkways where we could actually step out of the filth. By the time we stopped, I was wheezing for breath, physically and mentally exhausted, my body bruised and sore and my heart still pounding frantically. Tattletale looked just as bad. Still we had done it.

We had got away, and New Wave was left with a riot to try and clean up…

Suddenly, there was a thunderous crack that reverberated around us. We both shot up in panic, looking in the direction of the sound. It took me a few seconds to recognise the sound of someone with super-strength tearing through the pavement.

The sound wasn't that far away.

"Ohhh fuucckkk!" Tattletale swore, exhaustion replaced by pure panic as she turned to run. " _Run!_ "

We both sprinted. We barely made it a dozen yards before a blindingly fast flying shape hit me from behind. I couldn't help the scream as suddenly I was dragged off the ground – the tidal wave of fear hit me like truck and I nearly blacked out.

" _Got you!_ " A voice growled in my ear, as I felt an impossibly strong arm wrap my torso, while another hand clutched at my throat. The deceleration was so sudden that I had to stop myself from throwing up. I glimpsed bright blonde hair behind me out of the corner of my eye.

 _Glory Girl_.

Tattletale reacted instantly, holding up her handgun threateningly. Glory Girl stopped and twisted me around like a human shield, still hovering half a foot off the ground. The headlock was so firm I couldn't even move, I could barely breathe with her hand on my throat.

Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the last time we had been in this situation, with Tattletale and I facing off against Glory Girl. We had managed to escape then. Of course, _then_ we had a hostage, we caught Glory Girl by surprise, and we had still been very lucky.

Except now, I didn't have any bugs, and Tattletale's gun was out of bullets. And Glory Girl sounded very, very angry.

 _At least Glory Girl never knew Tattletale was out of ammo_ , I thought with panic. It was small mercy, but Tattletale was left trying to threaten an invincible superhero with an empty pistol.

"Do you have any idea what a crappy night you've put me through?" She growled, still holding me like a ragdoll in front of Tattletale.

 _Yeah, tell me about it_ , I would have said, but I could barely breathe.

I could see the panic in Tattletale's eyes, but somehow she still managed to smirk. "Oh come on, GG," Tattletale managed with barely a quiver in her voice. "Got to admit, this does bring back memories, doesn't it?"

I swear I felt Glory Girl's grip tighten. "Best if you don't remind me," she growled dangerously. "Put the gun down and surrender, otherwise we'll see what I can away with under 'resisting arrest'."

I desperately tried to pull the bugs towards me faster. My swarm was still fairly small, but it was growing slowly – I had even managed to catch some of my original super-large mutant centipedes that I had brought with me. But the problem was that most of the bugs were still on the surface. I had to find a way of getting them into the sewers, and then try and find their way to me as soon as possible. Bugs weren't that fast, and I needed them right now.

I gagged for breath, feeling her fingers so tight they felt like they would burst through my throat. "…Please…" I gasped. "… Air…"

"You tried to kill my sister." Her voice was cold and quiet. Still, her grip did slacken fractionally.

There was a pause. The only reason she wasn't taking Tattletale down right now was because she was at least _trying_ to bring us back alive, and she didn't want Tattletale shooting. Still, the gun was a lame threat against her and everyone knew it.

"This is how it's going to work. You're coming with me," Glory Girl ordered. "If I see a single bug, Skitter gets it." She glared at Tattletale hatefully. "And if you even open your bitch mouth, then I swear to god that I'll–"

"So how long has your boyfriend been playing around with your sister?" Tattletale said quickly.

The question was met with stunned silence. Glory Girl didn't react, but I could feel her aura wavering. _God bless you Lisa_ , I thought thankfully. _God bless you and your gas-lighting skills_. I knew the play – Tattletale was buying time, and I had to use it to get my swarm ready.

" _What?_ " Glory Girl demanded, unable to stop herself.

"Gallant and Amy," Tattletale teased, mouth twisting into a smirk. "Ow… never saw that one coming. How much does it burn knowing that your boyfriend picked your younger sister over you?"

She shook her head. "Fuck off. Gallant would never do th–"

"You sure about that?" Tattletale challenged. "Tell me, when was the last time you actually talked to your boyfriend? He's always been busy at work, hasn't he? Almost making excuses? And what about Amy – she's been skipping around happier than ever hasn't she? She must be _loving_ the fact that she stole your boyfriend from you."

Glory Girl scoffed. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? What about that time when Gallant came around to your house _when he thought you weren't there_ , asking to speak to _Amy_?" Tattletale smirked. "How do you explain that one, hmm?" Glory Girl turned stony silent. "Gallant has seemed awfully interested in Amy recently, hasn't he? Tell me something, did you follow them? I think you did. You must have followed him after he brushed you off. Did it _hurt_ to see them talking together _oh so intimately_ and hugging and –"

"SHUT UP!" Glory Girl roared. She lurched so sharply I thought my neck would snap. _Oh please, Lisa be careful here_ , I begged. "I know what you're doing;, you're just playing on my fears. You're not a _psychic_."

"You're right, I'm not. My power simpler than that – I'm just always _right_." Tattletale scoffed. "What excuse did Amy make after that, anyways? ' _Counselling'_? Oh please, honey. You checked her phone, you saw that Gallant has been making a lot of calls to her. You're not a stupid girl – you _know_ that they're both keeping secrets from you. You're just in denial and you don't want to accept it."

Glory Girl grit her teeth together, but I could feel her hand trembling slightly.

"It probably happened after Boston – Gallant was the wounded hero, and Amy was the sweet and caring nurse," Tattletale continued with a sigh. "Face it, _cheerleader_ , the quarterback is just stringing you along while he pines after the girl on the marching band."

My bugs were getting closer. I had to hesitate and keep them back, though; I didn't want to act too recklessly, not when Tattletale was working her magic. Glory Girl definitely didn't sound so sure anymore.

"…You can say whatever the hell you want," Glory Girl snarled, moving closer towards Tattletale, still clutching me tightly. "But there's still no way I'm ever going to let you get away, you bitch."

"How about this one then?" Tattletale muttered quietly, so quiet I had to strain to hear. Glory Girl was well and truly hooked. "Why don't you get the doctors to have a real _closer_ look at your mother's so-called ' _brain injury_ '?"

Glory Girl stopped suddenly, eyes widening in shock. "What did you say?" She demanded.

"It was an awfully _convenient_ brain injury that took Carol Dallon down, now wasn't it?" Tattletale muttered conspiratorially. "Did you trust Panacea when she said 'oh, I'm so sorry, I can't heal your mother'? You probably did. After all, she's your sister – you love her. It was only a bit later when you started to wonder exactly why Amy acted so weird every time you mentioned Carol. You were grieving, but she never did. You never even saw Amy shed a tear about what happened to Carol. Oh, and then Amy comforted you – _oh boy_ , did Amy comfort you. She was a shoulder for you to cry on, she even slept in your bed again to help you sleep, but Amy never, ever even went back to the hospital to check on Carol, did she?"

There was a long pause. Glory Girl looked shaken. Her grip softened and I started to wonder if I could maybe squeeze my way out…

Tattletale continued in a slow voice. "Come on now, Vicky, you're not a stupid girl. You were there when Amy first started to experiment with her powers, and you've picked up on all of the things that Amy never mentioned. The things she kept secret. You were there when she first started to make her rules, and all of those little _mishaps_ before then." I could feel Glory Girl's aura trembling now. "You know _exactly_ what Panacea is capable of… I wouldn't be quite so comfortable with letting her touch you in the future…"

"… shut up…" Glory Girl muttered, her breath hoarse.

Tattletale didn't stop. "… And let's not forget that little time Amy walked in on you and–"

"I said shut up!" She roared suddenly, before dropping me and shooting forward. Her hand knocked Tattletale's gun away easily, while her other fist slammed into Tattletale's chest. The blow knocked her physically off the ground.

I screamed in shock as Tattletale was sent slamming into the wall with a painful thud. Tattletale was left gasping in pain. I saw blood dripping from her mouth.

"You fucking _bitch_!" Glory Girl roared furiously. It was hard to tell, but there might have been tears in her eyes. "You absolute fucking bitch, I'm going to put you away for the rest of you–"

"Hi."

The dry voice cut through the air suddenly. Everyone turned to stare at the figure walking towards us in the gloom of the sewers. Runaway's shoulders were slumped, he was cradling his side and he walked with a distinct limp, eyes focused on Glory Girl. "…Am I interrupting here?" he muttered quietly.

"… took your time…" Tattletale gasped weakly, clearly struggling to breath.

Glory Girl glared at him with narrowed eyes. "You're that villain… Cutthroat…" she muttered. "We received a warning about you. What, you're with the Undersiders now?"

He shook his head softly, lowering his hood. "No," he replied. "… but I've been through enough bother helping them escape tonight already. They already owe me a debt, and I want them to be alive so I can collect it later. That means I'm going to have to convince you to leave them alone."

I was left collapsed onto the floor, still struggling to catch my breath. I slowly reached around to grab my baton as I stared at the confrontation. Glory Girl snorted. "I'd rather take you in with them."

"Thought you might." His voice sounded almost disappointed. He carefully lifted his hood on again, the shadows concealing his face. "… and I'm not very good at this whole banter thing, so let's just get this over with. You're strong enough that I can't afford to hold back against you, so there are only two things that you really need to know about me…"

Glory Girl braced. I could feel the aura coming off her so strong I could barely breathe, but Runaway didn't even seem affected. "… _One_ …" he muttered, as he slowly rolled his shoulders. His fingers were constantly flexing and twitching. "… Please don't go gentle on me. I really don't deserve it…"

"What the fuck?" Glory Girl grunted.

His whole body tensed. "… And _two_ …" He muttered slowly. I could hear his voice shift slightly. It became quieter, almost more feral, like a snarl. When he lifted his head slightly, suddenly I could see the faint blue light of the sewers reflecting in his eyes.

His pupils were glowing slightly. Like a cat. "… _I'm going to hurt you now_ …"

Suddenly a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. _He hadn't been telling the truth when he explained his powers_ , I thought suddenly, _or at least he had been omitting details_.

He wasn't just a Striker – he was a _Changer_.

Runaway growled – as in actually growled, a deep, bloodthirsty sound almost like some sort of primal animal. Glory Girl looked surprised for a second, before her body tensed.

And then instantly Glory Girl shot through the air at breakneck speed. Runaway slashed out with his hands, but Glory Girl was too fast. Her leg spun around and slammed into Runaway in a flying kick, crashing into his shoulder with the sickening crack of bone snapping. The blow sent him flying bodily and landing roughly into the gunk of sewer water.

For a second, Glory Girl looked a bit surprised at how easy it was. "I thought he was supposed to be toug–" She complained, but she was cut off instantly.

Without even a pause, Runaway suddenly twisted around and pounced at her, even dropping to all fours and lunging with a bloodthirsty snarl. His left arm was twisted backwards and clearly broken, but he didn't even seem to care.

Most people recoiled, or screamed in pain, or even just flinched after they had been hit. Runaway didn't do any of those. He didn't even hesitate before lunging in for the attack.

His body was completely obscured under his hoodie. The only thing I could glimpse were those glowing eyes as he pounced.

For a second, Glory Girl was caught off-guard. She flew backwards quickly as Runaway swiped at her with his one remaining arm, narrowly avoiding his fingers.

It was only a few seconds later when I saw the fine red cuts appearing across her forearm and her torso. They were thin, but they weeping a lot of blood very quickly. Glory Girl gasped, and then screamed.

Whatever shield she had was absolutely useless against him. Runaway's claws were so sharp you couldn't even feel it when they cut you.

And yet Runaway didn't even give her any time to pause. He was absolutely relentless as he kept on charging at her. I could see the sudden panic in Glory Girl's eyes for a second, but to her credit she managed to hold herself together as she flew around Runaway and slammed her fist into his back. Runaway took the blow without even a whimper, and returned with another slash.

Glory Girl must have realised she needed to keep away from his hands, and she spun upwards in the air, before dropping down with a kick from above. The blow sent him crashing to the ground, but he was up in a second and swiping at her. The only sound he made was that snarl – furious, relentless.

"He doesn't feel any pain when he's transformed…" I vaguely heard Tattletale muttered. I watched with wide eyes. It was almost like a dance as I watched the fight – lightning fast, and deadly.

Glory Girl was faster. She was stronger, she had could fly, she had more manoeuvrability. Even in the fairly narrow sewers, she could spin circles around him. Every single blow she landed was absolutely devastating.

Yet somehow, despite the fact he was taking much, much more damage, it still looked like Glory Girl was struggling to hold him off.

Every action Runaway made was absolutely feral. There was no warning, no hesitation, just a bloodthirsty desire to hurt her. He was suffering injuries and broken bones, but he just kept on going. Glory Girl wasn't fighting a person anymore; she was trying desperately to fight off a savage animal.

I could feel the fear radiating from her, but it didn't look like Runaway could feel anything anymore.

 _Cutthroat_ , I thought suddenly. _He tore a kid limb from limb_.

There were more thin red cuts appearing across her body. Glancing blows, but getting deeper. Glory Girl was screaming now, while Cutthroat was a veritable hurricane of wild slashing blows. No skill to it, no control, just a savage desire to kill her. The snarling was reaching a crescendo.

"He's going to go too far…" I realised in shock. I had to bring my bugs in faster. They were coming quickly, but not fast enough. Already there was about a hundred ants and spiders skittering around the sewers, but the bulk the swarm hadn't arrived. I could hear the buzzing, but it was barely audible over the sound of panicked screaming and savage snarling…

Tattletale shook her head. "He already has," she muttered with a gulp.

Cutthroat's claws sliced open her shoulder, deeper than all of the others. Glory Girl howled in pain, while Cutthroat lunged for her throat. She kicked back suddenly, and earned herself half a dozen deep scratches across her ankle for the effort, but managed to knock him back. _Fighting Cutthroat in close quarters was the absolute worst possible idea_ , I realised.

She must have had the same thought. In an instant, she was flying backwards down the sewer, dripping blood madly. Cutthroat was charging after her instantly, shoulders slouched, blood splattered across his body. For a second, I thought Glory Girl was abandoning the fight, but then she stopped and tore a large brick out of the wall with a pained grunt. She spun it around like a professional hammer thrower winding up for a shot.

Cutthroat tried to dodge, but that huge brick flew towards him with the speed of a baseball. He dived out the way, but it still crashed into his torso with a sickening crash of stone against bone. I don't think he even felt the pain from the blow, but the momentum still sent him flying.

Glory Girl was there in a second, grabbing him tightly by both the arms and holding his claws firmly out of reach as she lifted him off the ground. He tried to thrash, but then she slammed her knee against his stomach and pinned him in mid-air against the ceiling, locking him down so tightly he couldn't reach her.

"No…" I heard Tattletale mutter in the distance. "… Don't…"

"Calm down!" Glory Girl roared, while Cutthroat kept on thrashing madly against her, his telekinetic claws useless. Even if she had the advantage, I could still see the sweat and blood pouring off her. "It's over, now calm the fuck down _you psycho_ or I'll–"

Suddenly, I recalled something that Tattletale had managed before. It struck me as odd at the time, but I hadn't a chance to really question it. Now everything clicked into place.

 _What's the plan now?_ Tattletale had said. _Are you going to bite our heads off…?_

Bite our heads off. The phrase hadn't been a figure of speech.

Cutthroat had telekinetic teeth as well.

Glory Girl could barely even react as suddenly Cutthroat lunged, dislocating his own shoulder as his mouth dived towards Glory Girl's throat. She tried to twist out the way, but didn't get far enough.

Blood splattered everywhere as invisible, infinitely sharp fangs collided between Glory Girl's shoulder and neck, and bit down. His fangs extended an inch and a half outside of his mouth, large enough to bite straight through skin and bone and leave a gaping hole.

Glory Girl screamed. It was a different type of scream – not even a particularly loud scream. It was a scream that I could imagine a thousand mice screaming just before a cat tore them apart.

Cutthroat was suddenly on her, legs wrapping around her, pulling his arms free to slash at her body while his teeth kept on ripping apart flesh and bone. Glory Girl dropped to the ground while claws ripped mercilessly through her body.

The sight of so much blood my knees weak. Cutthroat didn't even slow down. There was a crunch as his claws ripped into Glory Girl's shoulder, easily ripping her arm off and tossing the limb aside. I watched lions tearing apart gazelles on the discovery channel before, but I had never, ever seen it so close.

My heart pounded. _I have to stop him. If Glory Girl died here_ …

At once, I ordered every single bug around to attack. The tunnel instantly buzzed as so many flies, spiders and ants pounced on Cutthroat and started biting. I went for the eyes, crawled into the mouth and ears and up the noses. I was used to people panicking under my bug assault, but Cutthroat barely reacted. It was nothing but a mild irritation for him, I didn't think he could even feel fear.

Still, it got his attention. He glared towards me and I heard that snarling again. In an instant, he was charging straight towards me with pure murderous intent.

My body froze in fear. I could have ran, but I knew instinctively that it would never be far or long enough.

Those glowing eyes could have quite easily been the last thing I ever saw.

My heart almost stopped as I found the ants I was looking for, and they managed to crawl onto Cutthroat's leg. _Bite_ , I ordered desperately, _bite, bite, oh god just bite_ …

Cutthroat was about two metres away from me before his leg suddenly seized up and he collapsed. Even as his body froze in paralysis, he was still trying to claw his way towards me, as if murdering me was the only thing that he wanted. After a couple of seconds, the paralysis was complete and his body turned stiff.

I released the breath that I hadn't even realised I was holding. My specialist neurotoxin ants worked, at least. I had been very, very lucky that enough of those ants had managed to survive when I purged my swarm, and luckier still to find them again afterwards.

There was no time to reflect. Instead, Tattletale was suddenly off the ground and hobbling towards the mutilated body of Glory Girl, surrounded by gore and blood. Her body was missing so many huge chunks of flesh she was barely even recognisable. Her face had been cut open by five long gouges stretching from forehead to chin.

I had never been squeamish with blood, but _this_ …

"She's still alive…" Tattletale muttered breathlessly. "… Barely."

"What?!" I gasped in shock. I was instantly reminded by the way cats would play with their food… keeping them alive as long as possible for them to suffer… _Think Taylor, think, you've got hurry here_. "… Where's Panacea?"

She shook her head. "Too far away. Won't make it." She glanced at me, eyes filled with fear. "You know first aid, right?"

"Not enough," I said with a gulp. _There was blood, so much blood, how could I even_ …?

An idea struck. "Hold on," I muttered, as I gathered up my swarm. "I think I have a plan…"

They were insects and we were in the sewers. It was hardly the most hygienic of situations, but I just had to make do. Instantly, I ordered my swarm to cover Glory Girl. She had so many injuries, I had to treat them all at once. I forced my mind to go blank as I dived into my swarm, controlling them with more precision than I had ever done before.

I sorted through my bugs. They were my tools and I had to play doctor. I ordered all of my spiders to start weaving webs, while my ants dived into Glory Girl's wounds. _I needed a cocoon… something to hold her together_ …

I could feel Glory Girl's heartbeat, but it was weak, erratic. She must have been trying to move, but too much had been severed. I was no doctor, I had no idea what I was meant to be doing, but my powers were good at figuring stuff out and I had just had to hope I had time to learn…

I ordered my neurotoxin ants to bite her. I needed to stop the pain, stop her from dying of shock. I had heard that the Aztecs used to use ant heads to stitch up wounds, I could only hope I could do the same hear.

For a second, a moment of doubt hit me as I remembered Glory Girl's forcefield skin – if that was still activated then I wouldn't be able to stitch up anything. Then, my ants bit down and hit soft flesh easily, and I realised that her forcefield was turned off. Had she deactivated it so I could help her? Maybe it just switched off when there was too much damage? Either way, it gave me a chance.

 _No time to be squeamish_. Right, now I just had to keep her alive.

I kept on pulling in more bugs. Already, Glory Girl was surrounded by a cocoon of silk web stained by blood. Inside the cocoon, my bugs began stitching up her wounds, using spiders silk and pincers to close them together. _Doesn't have to be neat or long lasting_ , I reasoned. _It was enough for me just to stabilise her and get her to Panacea_ …

Glory Girl's arm was still littered across on the manky floor. After a moment of hesitation, a pale-faced Tattletale picked up the severed limb and put it on top of the cocoon. Might as well keep her together as best as I can.

I could trace the countless marks where Cutthroat's fingers had cut through her. Her worst injuries were the hole in her shoulder and her missing arm. Too much for me to stitch together there, I just had to patch it up with silk.

My mind buzzed as I tried to figure out all the ways to fix her. I pushed my power into overdrive and suddenly I could imagine how everything was working. The swarm could figure it out. There had never been a doctor that could treat every single wound at once with an army of tiny surgeons before…

I felt Tattletale holding my hand suddenly, reassuringly. "Her lungs are filling up with blood," she muttered in my ear. "She's going to suffocate…"

 _How was I supposed to fix internal injuries?_ I thought with a gulp. Then, through gritted teeth, I ordered select bugs to crawl into her open wounds. I would have nightmares about the feedback for weeks, but if it saved her life, then I could handle it.

I once saw a documentary that said that doctors do pretty gruesome things to intensive care patients to keep them alive. It was common practice to crack open ribs just so they could get to heart to pump it so it kept on beating. With a moment of dread, I realised I was going to have to be a lot more aggressive to save her life.

"Internal haemorrhaging around the stomach," Tattletale whispered softly. "Severed nerves across the shoulder…"

She kept on going in a quiet voice. I took the information quietly but didn't respond. I just dived on deeper, letting the swarm consume me until Glory Girl didn't feel like a person anymore.

Waves of data hit me. It didn't matter how gruesome the data was, I just accepted it. The task was the task, and orders were orders. I broke the problem down into its simplest components, and everything became clear.

Anything that had been cut was stitched. Anything that was in the way was eaten through. Anything that fell apart was pulled together.

At one point, I felt Glory Girl's heartbeat start to flicker. I simply injected enough venom into it to keep it beating, and then kept on going.

This was first aid, not treatment. The number one priority was to save her life, and everything else came second.

It was such a clearly defined objective that my swarm just did it. It wasn't nice, it wasn't sentimental – it was just _efficient_.

By the time I finally opened my eyes again, I had absolutely no idea how long it had been. Glory Girl was completely hidden underneath a tight, well organised cocoon by my feet, maintained by thousands of insects that were doing everything from watching her heartbeat to pumping her lungs. Glory Girl herself had been put into a coma, nice and secure for transport.

She wasn't healthy – not even slightly – but all of my senses reported the same thing; she was stable.

I gasped softly, slowly returning to my body and becoming aware of my senses as a human again. Tattletale was looking at me, eyes filled with concern. I honestly didn't know what to say.

Slowly, we both turned to stare at the figure lying on the ground. I wasn't sure if the paralytic venom had worn off yet, but he didn't even try to move.

"I'm sorry," Runaway muttered quietly, his voice quaking with emotion as he kept on lying on the ground. "… I can't control it when I go over halfway…"


	11. Malignance 05

**Malignance 1.05**

The warehouse was a warzone. In fact, there was barely a warehouse left anymore. Drugs and bottles from the Merchant rally littered the floor, along with empty shell casings from machine gun fire and the occasional scattering of blood. Then there were the holes punched in the wall by distinctly monster dog like shapes, along with the clear signs of parahuman conflict. There were quite distinct skid mark tracks gouged out of the concrete around the makeshift podium.

After that, though, it looked like the battle had escalated even further. At some point, someone with insane super strength had torn the roof straight off the warehouse, while outside there were splotches of containment foam where the PRT had cut down anyone trying to run.

It must have been one hell of a battle.

Now, all the bodies had been cleared, and there was nothing left but a buzz of PRT squad cars and investigate, moving over the scene, taking pictures and painstakingly categorising all of the damage. It would have been boring, if it wasn't for the figure in a distinct black and grey costume, cape draping across the ground.

I once had a lunchbox with Alexandria on it. To actually see the hero in the flesh… well, I admit it could have made me fangirl a little bit, if it had been in any different circumstances.

Alexandria was just standing, eyes moving across the ground gradually, inspecting absolutely every single detail with all the precision of a team of forensic experts in a millisecond. She had just cleared out a battle between hundreds of meth heads and gangs of supervillains, yet there wasn't even a speck of filth on her costume.

It was very early morning, the sun was only just starting to rise, and the scene looked almost serene as everyone just did their jobs with quiet professionalism. It was hard to imagine that this PRT was the same one that had been falling apart not that long ago – it had only been days and Alexandria had already got the division working like a well-oiled machine.

There was a patter of footsteps as an officer rushed up to Alexandria carrying a phone urgently. "Ma'am!" The officer called. "It's the priority line."

She took without a moment of hesitation, answering it in a single moment. "Good morning, Mr President," Alexandria greeted professionally.

"Good morning," I replied, grinning brightly despite myself.

If she was surprised at all, she didn't show it even for a millisecond. Alexandria continued without even a pause. "Ah, Skitter, I presume," she said smoothly. _Damn, she worked fast_. "Tell me, how long did it take Tattletale to figure out this number?"

"Couple of hours," I admitted, glancing towards Lisa, lying half-unconscious on the sofa with her hands over her face. Her powers had finally burned out. "The Secret Service really isn't very original with their security codes."

"Really? I'll have to reprimand them for that," she said gratefully, not even glancing around her. "I presume you're watching me at the moment, aren't you? I thought that those fruit flies were acting unnaturally. Now, normally that would put you within a few city blocks, but it turns out you have a much larger range than that, hmm?"

I _really_ didn't like the way that she was casually figuring out my powers. I knew what she was doing – she was turning the conversation onto me, probing me, and completely taking control of the dialogue. I didn't know how to counter that, so instead I just kept quiet.

She waited for the exact right amount of time, and then kept on talking. "Let's get the obvious out the way, then," she said conversationally. "Grue, Regent, and Hellhound are all in my custody. You are no doubt upset about that. Are you phoning to negotiate with me?"

"No." I shook her head even though I was on the phone. "I'm phoning to _threaten_ you."

"Really? How novel. Please, continue."

"You know what my powers are," I said slowly. "You know what my range is. Now then, I'm told you think faster and better than anyone else, so can you work this out – just how much damage is there going to be if I order every single insect in the city to attack indiscriminately?"

"Hm." Through my bug vision, I saw Alexandria nod in agreement. "That's a very serious threat."

"I want you to release my teammates right now and maybe it won't it come to that."

There was, for the very briefest of moments, a pause. "No," Alexandria said simply.

That single word hung in the air. It left me momentarily speechless. I didn't even know how to counter that one. Alexandria sounded completely and totally unconcerned.

She waited nearly ten seconds before she started talking again. "You know, I'm really not sure which argument to use here. There are so many to choose from, but they all come down to the same thing, really," she said casually. "It doesn't bother me how you want to proceed from here. Oh sure, you can cause some damage, a lot of people will probably die, but eventually I'll still bring you in just the same. Maybe a bit faster, maybe a bit messier, but never mind."

I could practically hear the shrug in her voice. "If you _do_ go on rampage, well, in the aftermath that's only going to further reaffirm the people's faith that they need the PRT to protect them. That's a win-win situation for me, really. I've got more important things to do than stress myself over some deaths that someone else is responsible for." A measured pause. "Mind, if you want to know how things are going to end for _you_ in that situation, then why don't you look at Bakuda and see how well that whole approach worked for her?"

I blinked dumbly, trying to think of what to say next. Alexandria smiled softly as she kept on going. "… But do you know what? I don't think you're capable of doing something like that." My fists clenched. "You're trying to play the villain here, but you're not very good at it, to be honest. I can see the constant contradictions in your actions. Now, maybe you're disassociating, but the more I learn about you the more convinced I become that you are just not that type of threat. Honestly, you remind me more of a little girl playing dress-up rather than anything I should be seriously concerned about."

My mouth dropped open a few times. I knew that Alexandria was playing me. I'd seen this type of mind games from Tattletale often enough, but I never knew what it was like to be on the other side of it. Alexandria waited patiently for me to respond, all the while I struggled to get my head back into gear.

"… I don't care," I said finally. "I don't care what you think of me, I don't care about the person I am – all I know is that I'll be the person I need to be."

"Well then," Alexandria said with a slight pause. "I suppose that makes two of us."

There was a long pause. I waited for Alexandria to speak. "I guess it's your turn now," Alexandria said eventually. "I have your teammates and I'm not letting them go. It's your move – are you really _sure_ you want to escalate like this?"

I gulped. "I heard that you're an expert in voice profiling," I said, forcing my voice steady. "Tell me, how sure _do you think_ I sound?"

She almost hesitated. "I think…" There was a momentarily lapse. "… I think you're just trying to distract me."

With that, she hung up. My insects sensed her shooting into the sky, disappearing into the distance.

 _Damn_ , I cursed mentally, _I had hoped she wouldn't pick up on that one._ I could only pray that I kept her talking for long enough.

Still, there was no time to hang around. I threw my costume into my rucksack, and I ran out the door. I nearly sprinted through the city to the meet-up point, behind the back of a supermarket in an abandoned alley, where I quickly put my costume on again and settled into wait impatiently.

I was waiting for half an hour, trembling with anxiety, before I finally felt the ground trembling slightly.

With a crack of rubble, a large hole in the pavement suddenly opened up. A tall woman with wavy black long hair, wearing a costume similar to riot gear, clambered out of the makeshift tunnel. Faultline was panting with exhaustion as she glared at me warily. I tried not to show my anxiety.

"Is it done?" I asked, trying to keep my composure.

"It's done," she replied, motioning into the tunnel. "The payment?"

"Already transferred to your bank account."

"Five million?" She demanded suspiciously, still blocking the tunnel.

"Yes, five million," I said with a sigh. A big chunk of our money had disappeared very quickly.

Almost unwillingly, she moved out of the way as she pulled out her phone to check her bank account. Next out of the tunnel was Newter, flashing me a bright smile as he skittered on four legs, followed by the shambling shape of Gregor the Snail. Gregor the Snail was carrying a large, black costumed figure over his shoulder.

"Grue!" I shouted at the unconscious shape, rushing over to him.

"Simply unconscious," Gregor reassured, in his thick accent as he gently placed Grue down on the ground. "He banged his head when we hit the transport van."

"Yeah, you could have been more gentle about that one," a dry voice muttered, clambering out of the hole. Regent looked absolutely shattered, his costume stained and filthy. Bitch was walking behind him, looking just as rough and glaring suspiciously at the mercenaries. She did seem to ease up once she saw me, though.

"It worked, didn't it?" Newter retorted, flicking his tail around. The last people out of the hole were Spitfire and Labyrinth. Spitfire cradled the sleeping girl in her arms, holding her almost protectively.

"What about the others?" I asked eventually. "Where are the dogs and the men?"

Bitch's dogs and our henchmen should have been in the same prison convey. "Oh, we got those too," Faultline nodded. "Too many to bring with us, though, so we left them behind at a safe house. They should be safe enough – the PRT is going to be much more interested in you guys rather than some hired goons."

"We also broke out a few of the Merchants as well, just as a bit of a distraction to cover our escape," Newter chuckled. "Skidmark was going pretty berserk back there when we left him."

I could have groaned. The fact that the PRT had got the Merchants too had been the one silver-lining to this whole night. "Oh, _thank you_ for that," I said sarcastically. "Now we're going to have to take the Merchants down _again_."

"Hey, if you didn't want us to, you should have said," Newter replied with a shrug.

"Relax, it's _Skidmark_ ," Regent said wearily. "He's never going to last very long against _Alexandria_ , of all people."

Faultline glanced at us curiously. "… And you think _you_ will?"

I was too exhausted to even object. It had been one hell of a night. Right now, I just wanted to go home and collapse for a few days.

"So…" I muttered finally, glancing at Faultline. "Are we done here? Or is the part where you betray us?"

She scoffed. "What do you think I am? A _crook_? No, we're done here." She motioned at her crew to move out. "Just a heads up, we're going to be leaving this town pretty quickly now. This was our last job; it's time for us to move on. If you've got any sense, you'll think about doing the same."

"I'll bear that under consideration," I said dryly, as I watched them leave.

A van rolled up for the supervillains-for-hire by the time they left the alleyway. They drove away without even a second glance.

Suddenly, we left alone in the deserted alleyway. All four of us were battered, bruised and absolutely exhausted, standing around in costume behind the back of a supermarket, at early morning. The city was only just standing to wake up.

Regent looked between Bitch and the unconscious Grue, before turning back to me.

"Well then," he said finally. "Please tell me you arranged for someone to come pick us up?"

There was a long moment of silence. I could have slapped myself.

xxxxxxxxxxx

That morning was one of the most painful and exhausting ones I could ever remember. My whole body was bruised and beaten, I was absolutely fatigued, and my head was still pounding after pushing my powers so hard. At the really depressing bit was that I was still better off than most of the others.

Lisa was left with cracked ribs after Glory Girl's punch, as well as a migraine so bad she could barely even open her eyes. She had maxed out her powers and probably would be recovering for a whole week.

Brian had a minor concussion, as well as a broken arm courtesy of Alexandria, along with half a dozen fractures. Apparently, from what I was told, he had managed to put up a pretty good fight against Alexandria and the rest of the PRT. It didn't really do any good, of course, but Grue had lasted a surprisingly long time and his injuries were testament to that.

Bitch's dogs had been nearly drowned in containment foam, while Alexandria snapped their exoskeletons open. Bitch had fought frantically as the dogs were taken away from her, even despite being massively outnumbered. Bitch had ended up being tasered a dozen times as they tried to drag her into the van, and she had still managed to jump one of the guards and nearly tore his ear off. With her teeth. In the end, they needed Clockblocker to freeze her while they manacled her in full-body restraints normally reserved for those with Brute ratings.

 _Meanwhile_ , there was Regent – who broke a toenail in the fight, and then meekly surrendered before anyone even really noticed him. Somehow, he still managed to complain about his broken toenail more than everyone else there.

Coil arranged a doctor to come for a house visit. He left a bucket full of painkillers and there was nothing left for us to do except groan as we lay around the house.

At one point, I turned on the TV just to watch an urgent update as rioting collided against the barricades at Captain's Hill last night. Apparently the whole city was in panic mode and the mobs were only getting larger.

I turned the TV off pretty quickly – that was a problem for another day.

Slowly, painfully, we started talking about our respective nights. The depressing bit was that the disaster of the Merchants raid sounded just as bad as anything that me and Tattletale went through.

It was only when I explained what happened between Runaway and Glory Girl that everyone paused.

"… Is she…?" Brian muttered awkwardly, still wincing with his arm in a sling.

"Alive?" I muttered. "I think so. She was stable when we dropped her off at Anders Memorial – they would have phoned Panacea pretty quickly. Glory Girl should be able to make it through."

There was a quiet pause. "How bad was it?"

I thought of the huge chunks of flesh missing from her body. "Pretty bad."

No one reacted. I wasn't sure if Lisa had fallen unconscious or not. There was a grim moment.

"…How badly is this going to come back to bite us?" Alec said.

"It could be bad. There's a lot of give and take in the unwritten rules, but…" Brian grimaced. "You just _don't_ maim heroes like that. If we start getting that type of reputation, well, that could be nasty…"

"Why?" Alec snorted sarcastically. "Do you think they might try and capture us?"

Brian looked at him darkly. "Here's the thing about the rules – you _get_ what you _give_." He frowned. "Hell, they came hard at us last night, but we're all still alive. Now then, imagine how much worse things could have gotten if the New Wave hadn't given fair warning, or if the PRT had been using live ammo instead of containment foam…"

I hesitated. "You think they'll respond like that?"

"Maybe, if that's type of reputation we build up," he said. "I mean, with the Empire, well, it was borderline, but they were aggressors… and besides villains killing villains isn't as bad as villains killing heroes… but after what we did to Glory Girl – that could go very wrong for us."

"But it wasn't _us_ , right?" Alec said. "This Runaway guy did all that…"

"But how's anyone else supposed to know that?" I muttered, closing my eyes.

There was a moment of quiet consideration.

"Where's Runaway now?" Brian asked finally.

"Upstairs in the attic," I admitted.

"You brought him _here_?!"

"What else was I supposed to do with him – he was _unconscious_ ," I said defensively. "And I've got my bugs watching him, if he makes a move I don't like, I can paralyse him in an instant. He doesn't know where this place is – he was blindfolded just in case when we brought him in."

Out of all of us, Runaway doubtlessly came off the absolute worse. He had more broken bones, fractures and injuries than the doctor could even count – a lot of them even pre-existing. The best the doctor could do was offer to come back with a full-body cast and more extensive treatment, but I knew even at the time that there was a big question mark over whether Runaway would still be here.

"There is one way we can maybe stop any repercussions," Brian said after a long pause. "And I feel like a shit for saying it, but we could always just make amends."

"Amends?"

"Prove that it was an accident. If we ship Runaway over to the PRT, parcelled up as an apology, that'd help us a lot. _That's_ the right way to handle situations like this."

I wish that I hadn't been having the same thought. "He did it to try and save us," I muttered reluctantly.

"You didn't ask him to go so far," Brian argued. "That's all on him."

 _I couldn't really argue with that one_ , I admitted to myself. Still, the thought made me sick to my stomach.

"Didn't you say this psycho tried to kill you?" Alec pointed out.

 _Also true_ , I admitted. I paused for nearly thirty seconds, thinking about it slowly. Finally, I sighed and pulled myself up with a gentle groan. "… I'll handle it," I said simply.

"Taylor…"

"Look, I just want to talk to him alright?" I said touchily. Brian looked ready to object. "I'll keep my bugs on him, I promise, and I'll keep my distance. It's just a talk, ok? He deserves that much at least."

"The guy is a psycho, dork," Alec murmured. "Let's just bounce him and get it over with. Or let _me_ talk to him and I can walk him straight into the PRT."

xxxxxxxxxxx

I took a deep breath as I walked up towards the attic. After a long moment of hesitation, I left my mask off. I face to face talk was the least he deserved. Even if he did end up with the PRT, I wasn't too worried about him describing what I looked like. The PRT had an unwritten policy that they didn't investigate cape identities very hard at all – except in extreme cases.

 _Which this might become_ , I thought with a flash of panic as I remembered Brian's warning. Still, I clambered up into the attic wearing my full costume minus the mask.

I knew he was awake. Runaway was sitting slouched on an old, moth-ravaged sofa in the corner, surrounded by piles of junk. He barely reacted, but I could tell he was breathing steadily from the insects I had positioned around him.

"In my defence," Runaway muttered, his voice a low groan, as I walked in. "This is exactly the type of situation I was trying to avoid when I said 'no' to you originally."

"Can you blame us?" I muttered coolly. "You nearly kill a girl."

His eyes widened. "So she survived, then?" He muttered in surprise. "That's a new one. They don't normally survive when I go that far."

My eyes narrowed. I took a seat on an old TV stand facing opposite him.

He bit his lip nervously. "So are you going to turn me over?"

I thought about lying for a moment. "Maybe," I answered instead, keeping my voice steady.

"Thought so." He slowly pulled up his trouser leg and pointed to a small black insect on ankle. One of my paralysis bugs. One of many I had planted on him. I never knew he noticed.

"You haven't knocked it off?" I asked curiously.

"Thought about it, but I figured that would just send the wrong message. Besides, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to escape if you do send your swarm after me. I'm in no shape to run," he admitted, with a small wince as he tried to move his arm. "But since they're not biting yet, I guess I figured I at least had a chance just trying to talk to you."

I paused. His body language… he seemed just a little bit _too_ calm, too focused…

"What percentage are you at now?" I asked after a moment.

"Five percent," he said without hesitation. "… It takes the edge off the pain, stops the fear a little bit."

"Right."

There was a long moment of silence. I still wasn't certain how his power worked, but I was getting a pretty good idea. He could transform more and more depending on how far he was pushed.

"You want to talk, don't you?" He asked with a soft sigh. "You're not wearing a mask, so I guess this is a friendly talk. What about?"

"Let's start with the obvious," I said chilly. "How many people have you killed?"

"Five and a half."

"A half?" I muttered with a frown. "How can you kill a half a person?"

"Very easily, unfortunately," Runaway said with a grimace. "He currently has a severed spine and is breathing out a tube."

Runaway – no, I corrected myself, _Dylan_ – shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't covering his face with his hoodie anymore, as far I could see this was an out-of-costume talk. Dylan was twitching slightly, trying his best to keep eye contact.

"Do you feel bad about it?"

"… That's a silly question," Dylan muttered after a slight hesitation. "The whole reason I transform is so I don't feel bad about anything."

I took the statement with only a slight nod. "Tell me about your powers."

He sighed reluctantly. I wasn't really giving him any choice in the matter and we both knew it. "I'm a… well, I'm what you call package deal," he muttered unwillingly. "Lots of very minor classifications focused around one main one. There are my claws, of course, probably my biggest – maybe Striker 4 or 3." He absentmindedly stared at his hands. "And I've got a small Brute rating with that – quite minor, maybe Brute 1. I'm _fractionally_ stronger than I should be – I don't know, maybe fifty percent stronger? On a good day. I've got a bit better reflexes and coordination on top of that. The biggest part of my Brute rating is my regeneration – I do heal maybe twice as fast as a normal person."

I quietly listened and waited for him to continue. "I probably have a small Thinker rating as well, with how I become more focused – but I've got no idea how to rate that. Also, I suspect that I've got a very low Stranger rating in there too – maybe Stranger 0.5 or something. I'm good at staying unnoticed, I can disappear into a crowd more easily, and I seem to get better at it as I transform – but frankly it's so minor I'm not even convinced it's actually a power," he admitted. He hesitated, squirming slightly. "… and then there's my Changer ability. That's probably the one you're most interested in."

"You can gradually transform," I noted. "You become more feral, you feel less pain…"

"Yes," he nodded. "I can transform into a bloodthirsty animal with absolutely no emotions or feelings, except the desire to kill."

There was a pause. He sighed, and slouched down further into the chair.

"The transformation is purely mental," he admitted.

I frowned. "What?"

"I don't become any stronger or faster. With the exception of, you know, my eyes, physically I don't change at all. My body stays the same," he explained softly. "Instead, it's all in my head. I stop feeling pain, I stop feeling hunger – hell, I don't even need to _sleep_. I just keep on becoming more and more primal until there's nothing left."

He scratched at the chair distractedly. "At five percent all of my feelings are dulled. Around twenty percent I started becoming distinctly psychopathic. At forty percent I have to resist the urge to kill. I lose all rational control at fifty percent, and at sixty percent I can't differentiate between friends and enemies anymore," he explained, keeping his voice low. "…and by eighty percent… I would go berserk like you've never seen anything ever before…"

I took the information in quietly. "What about at hundred percent?" I asked quietly.

Dylan shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "At hundred percent I don't think I would ever be able to come down again."

I didn't know what to say. He glanced at me and shook his head. "You're looking at me the wrong way," he said with a sigh. "The transformation isn't something that _happens_ to me, it's something that I _choose_ to do. I am in control of how I move the slider – it's purely voluntary."

"What?" I muttered in shock. "But why would you ever go that high? Hell, why would you use at it all?"

"Really?" He challenged, eyes narrowing. "Are you honestly saying that you can't imagine how good it would feel to just _not care at all?_ Imagine all of the pain you've ever felt, loneliness, doubt, can you honestly say that you wouldn't be tempted if you could just shut it all off?"

I didn't reply. "I would never have lasted as long as I have I hadn't have had that slider," he glared at me. "… And the problem is that the higher I get, the less I ever _want_ to bring it back. I don't have enough emotions left to make that make that decision for me. I _could_ do it any time, but to actually willingly bring back all of that pain… it's harder than you can possibly imagine… and it's just so _easy_ when it's not there…"

He took a deep breath. Somehow, I didn't think he ever told anyone this before. I slowly clenched my fists. "What percentage were you at with Glory Girl?"

"Fifty five," he confessed. "I was already a complete psychopath when I made the decision to go higher than fifty. At the time I couldn't see any issue with pushing it up a bit further just to get through the fight. I knew that I would probably kill her, of course, but…"

"… but you didn't have enough emotions left to care," I finished. He nodded quietly.

He sighed, shifted uncomfortably, and hesitated. "What happens now?"

"I don't know," I admitted honestly. I didn't know what to do anymore. I paused for a second, before finally a question came to mind. "… Tell me about your trigger event."

He stared at me suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because I think it's important."

Dylan was silent for a while. I didn't think he was going to answer, but then slowly, he did. "… At school, someone threw a plate of pasta over me in the cafeteria," he murmured.

"A plate of pasta," I repeated slowly.

He just nodded, and twitched slightly. "… It was…" Dylan stammered softly, before taking a deep breath. "… I'd been having problems with these other boys, I mean, _constant problems_." He almost growled the words. "…They didn't leave me alone. And then one day, in the cafeteria… god… it wasn't even the worst thing they had ever done to me. Not even _close_ to the worst thing… it was just…"

 _He had been bullied_ , I realised softly. My hands twitched. "… It was more like it was just the brick that broke the donkey's back," he continued awkwardly. "… It was the final straw, and I just _broke_ down. I couldn't take it anymore, and I snapped. Everybody was laughing at me, I just… I just wanted it to _stop_ … _That_ was what I triggered on – just a pure desire to stop feeling that way…"

 _And it worked_ , I thought numbly. "So then the first person you killed…?"

Dylan nodded. "Yep – a boy named Callum." He tensed slightly. "… One of my, well, _tormentors_. I pushed the dial right up. I ripped him limb from limb and then bit his head off and I didn't feel a thing." A hollow, humourless smile appeared on his face. "…They weren't laughing then…"

 _Oh_.

I took a deep breath, and twisted on my seat. The image of Emma, of Sophia and of Madison flashed through my head in turn.

Dylan kept on talking quietly. "After that, I had to go on the run. Hell, I'm still not sure whether it was actually accident or not." His eyes flickered. "I ran, and it was scary and it was exhausting – and then I realised that I could make it a lot easier just by turning the dial a little bit. And then it became lonely, but I could stop that feeling too just by turning the dial a little bit more. But I was still in control, so it was fine."

He slowly sat forward. "And then there were some nights that were even worse than the others. Some nights when I was hiding out in some abandoned building, and I was cold, hungry, and in pain, well…" He hesitated. "… there was no around, so I went a bit higher and I lost control for a bit, just enough to get me through the night… and then the next night was the same, so I did it again and I brought myself back each morning so it was fine…"

I think I knew where the story was heading. His expression was dark. "And that worked absolutely fine right up until the night a homeless man or a security guard stumbled onto where I was hiding, and then…" He grimaced. "…and then that's reason why I have a body count."

I wondered what to say next. I wasn't sure if I could judge him anymore. _He was admitting that he had accidentally murdered innocent people just because he didn't want to feel cold at night_ , I thought to myself. That wasn't right – I _knew_ that you shouldn't be able to get a pass on murder that easily…

Then I thought of nine bodies scattered by docks and all thoughts of moral condemnation left me.

My mind thought back to Rachel, to Alec, hell, even to Brian. _It_ shouldn't _be that easy to commit murder_ … I thought with a gulp.

The silence stretched on. Neither of us said a word.

Finally, Dylan twitched slightly. "… I don't _want_ to be like this…" he muttered finally. "I try to be a good person… But do you have any idea how hard that is when your power just makes it so, so easy for you to be a bad one instead?"

And the scary bit – the _really_ , really bone-numbingly scary bit – was that I did. I knew exactly what it was like.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Fifteen minutes later, I gulped as I slowly walked back into the sitting room. Brian turned to look at me worriedly.

"Well?" He asked. "How did it go?"

I took a deep breath. "I want to offer him a place on the team again. This time I'm pretty sure he'll accept it."

Brian's eyes widened in shock. "What?" He exclaimed. "But why–"

"Because he's better off with us," I said firmly, folding my arms. "We could use him, and he's a lot better with friends than he is by himself."

"But he tried to murder you!" Brian shouted. "Do you know how hard they're going to come at us after what he did to Glory Girl? If we actually make him part of the _team_ …!"

… And that started the very first argument that me and Brian ever had. And it was a lengthy argument. I refused to give an inch, and he couldn't understand why I was being so stubborn. He made a lot of very good points and I refused them all.

But eventually, the rest of the team sided with me. Bitch said yes pretty much as soon as I explained Dylan's situation. Alec was resistant at first, but then he slowly came around as well. _Perhaps Alec could relate to people who had trouble emphasising with others_ , I mused.

Brian had to turn to Lisa for support, but she only murmured in my favour before closing her eyes again and trying to block out her pounding migraine.

It became four against one. Brian had always been the team leader. I tried very hard not to read too much to the fact that they he had just been outvoted, but it wasn't lost on me how the others listened to my argument first. I could feel the team dynamic shift.

It was a long and awkward day.

As dusk started to fall, the whole city was on high alert. The riots had already started, but it was like there was a feeling that these were just the warmups. There were still more and more angry people that were joining the mob. A mandatory curfew was put in place, but that didn't look like it would solve anything.

The looting and the riots were already coming into the city.

 _Oh_ , I thought miserably as I watched the news. _I really, really miss the days when my life had been simple_ …


	12. Interlude: PHO

**2.a Interlude: PHO**

* * *

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* * *

Topic: **The Rise of the Undersiders?**  
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Cape Doings ►Villains

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)  
Posted on June 4th, 2011:

Alright then, the Undersiders have been getting a lot of attention recently, and there's been a _hell_ of lot of speculation recently – so let's try and make one thread with everything we know. If anyone has any other details, let me know and I'll add to the original post.

 **Edit: Confirmed facts only, thank you very much. Leave any conspiracy theories elsewhere, please.**

The team (quick overview, see individual threads for more details):

• Grue – The leader of the Undersiders ( _citation needed_ ). Big guy, roughly six foot, heavy build, wears motorcycle leathers and a motorcycle helmet with a full-face visor sculpted to look like a stylized skull. Used to work as a small-time enforcer, started the Undersiders as a gang of thieves. **Known powers: Generates clouds of darkness, reported sense deprivation as well. Anyone trapped in his darkness becomes blind and deaf, very good at letting them escape tight situations. Range unknown. Limitations unspecified.  
Classification: Breaker / Shaker.**

• Hellhound (also known as Bitch) – Rachel Lindt. Only member whose identity is known – large parts of her case file are blacked out, but there are some public records. Gained powers when she was 13, followed shortly by the death of her custodian – the authorities at the time treat the case as murder (possibly manslaughter? ( _details unsure_ )). Has been a fugitive ever since, joined the Undersiders roughly two years ago. Stocky build, wears heavy jackets with thick fur collars and/or hoods, heavy boots, and a dollar store Rottweiler mask. Known for being violent – do not approach. **Known powers: Can transform dogs into giant monsters the size of small vans, complete with bone armour. Very durable, very strong, very vicious. Possibly some Master ability for controlling her dogs as well / very good dog training. Restrictions on her powers unknown – may only work on certain dogs ( _citation needed_ ).  
Classification: Changer? Master? – Dogs are a definite Brute.**

• Regent – Tall, curly black hair, wears a white mask, a silver coronet, a ruffled white shirt, and skintight leggings tucked into knee-high boots. May or may not be a previous villain known as Hijack ( _see_ speculation). Very little known – tends to be a more of a background member. **Known powers: Either minor telekinesis, or some sort of body control. During fights, he seems to make people flinch, trip or stumble. Other details unknown.  
Classification: Master? / Weak Blaster?**

• Tattletale – Dark blonde hair, wears skin-tight black and lavender suit, with domino mask. And… that's pretty much all we know, actually. **Known powers: ?  
Classification: Thinker.**  
(Listen guys, I'm pretty sure the reports that she's a psychic were exaggerated.)

• Skitter – See full threads here and here for more details / discussion. Newer member, very quickly stole the show. Wears dark grey costume with armour plating, with insect-themed mask. Dark bushy hair. The Undersiders' MO changed very drastically when she joined – she turned them from thieves into the most dangerous gang in the city. She is most likely the most powerful villain operating in Brockton Bay ( _citation needed_ ). Incredibly dangerous – doesn't really matter if you approach her or not. **Known powers: Controls insects. _All_ of them.  
Classification: Master **(see speculation for THAT discussion).

And, after great deliberation, I'm adding this one:

• Cutthroat (also known as Runaway ( _citation needed_ )) – Dylan Green. Doesn't really have a costume, he just wears hoodies. Wanted for murder from three years ago – suspected serial killer ( _citation needed_ ). Very dangerous – do not approach. **Known powers: He kills people. Easily**.  
 **Classification: Brute? Striker? Changer?**

Index:

Known crimes / History The Bank Job The Empire Falls / Rise to Power Operations / Gang Territories List of cape fights Miscellaneous Information / Reports Speculation / Theories

 **Edit: Ok, since a lot of people are going off-topic, let's make it clear: All posts on Skitter specifically go here – Let's keep this thread for the Undersiders as a group.**

(Showing page 64 of 70)

► OppositeSpiral

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Honestly, why all the people hating on the Undersiders? They're the only one who are trying to do some good. The PRT completely fucked up after Boston – the Undersiders were the ones that stepped in to look after this city. The E88 would have brought this place to hell, the Protrectrate were imcompetent, the Undersiders stepped up.

► Iirak (Verified Verifier)

Replied to OppositeSpiral on June 13th, 2011:

Tell that to the docks.

The Undersiders brought the hell all by themselves.

► Pink Bug

Replied to OppositeSpiral June 13th, 2011:

Not this argument again…

The Undersiders really don't deserve it. They're just another gang. Sure, they've helped people – but the E88 used to do a bit of charity too. Hell, even Lung looked after the Asians. It's just a matter of power to them – they're taking it, and they're not going to let it go.

As soon as they get in power – that's when all the charity is going to stop.

The Undersiders are just another gang like all the others, except they don't have as much to lose and that makes them dangerous. They might have started out 'nice', but they're filling their ranks up with psychos and they have thugs marching the streets. There all the same, really, and we'd all be better off without them.

► Alathon (Boston Survivor)

Replied to Pink Bug June 13th, 2011:

Maybe. Still, right now they're keeping the peace at lot more than the heroes are.

There were a bunch of drug dealers in my neighbourhood – selling drugs to kids, terrorising everyone. Then just the other day some of the Undersiders men came in and started sending a message. Every time they caught one of the dealers they would rough them up and strangle them with a silk scarf. For every repeat offence, they strangled just a bit longer.

The dealers cleared out pretty quickly after that. Say what you want, but the Undersiders are doing good.

► Clockblocker (Verified Cape)

Replied to Alathon on June 13th, 2011:

"Say what you want, but the Undersiders are doing good."

I think Glory Girl would disagree.

► Foiling (New Member)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Owned.

I honestly don't know how anyone can ever try to justify them anymore. They've shown the type of people they are a long time ago.

► Delphi

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Let's make this clear – Skitter is a fucking psycho.

The Undersiders used to be a bunch of small-time crooks, she turned them into one of the most dangerous criminals around. She's now recruiting killers and knocking off the competition. Mark my words – she's only ever going to escalate and get more violent.

She's an utter, maniacal monster.

► PredatorS (New Member)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

The Undersiders are still nothing but trash. It's _insulting_ that people talking about them like they're big shots. The best they can do is run away.

They're all just messed up freaks with powers, not anything special.

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied to PredatorS on June 13th, 2011:

Oh, I wouldn't say that. The Undersiders are doing alright for themselves – they're national news already.

I mean, to _me_ , 'nothing special' would be something like, say, a wannabe hero that totally failed at making it as an independent vigilante, who got press-ganged into joining the Wards, and now spends her time on a team that hates her and doing a boring job that she constantly gets into trouble for.

Mind, "messed up freaks with powers"? To be fair, you really don't have to have powers to be messed up. Once, I heard about this guy named Steven who was so messed up that he suffered borderline schizophrenic mood swings and depression. One shadowy night, poor Steven became so depressed he even took his little ten year old stepdaughter, dragged her to the roof, and then jumped off it and dragged her down with him.

Honestly, can you imagine that?

Tata, honey.

 **[USER RECEIVED AN INFRACTION FOR THIS POST: Totally off-topic and irrelevant]**

► XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied to YourSecretKeeper on June 13th, 2011:

What the f*ck does that have to do with anything?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 … 63, 64, 65 … 70.

* * *

Private message from PredatorS:  
June 13th, 2011

PredatorS: WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?!

YourSecretKeeper: go on, honey. guess. i'll give you three chances.

PredatorS: …you bitch

PredatorS: so this is what you do? follow people online like a creep.

YourSecretKeeper: …why don't you say 'stalker' ;D

PredatorS: i'll fucking rip your heart out for this i swear it

YourSecretKeeper: oh relax; i'm not threatening to 'out' u or anything, i promise

YourSecretKeeper: this is just a social call. i wanted to chat, got ur attention

YourSecretKeeper: …so you can put that phone down now. u don't need to call mommy

PredatorS: ur trying to blackmail me. i make the phone call, show them this screen, and then u learn y targeting cape's identity is bad idea.

YourSecretKeeper: firstly, i don't know ur identity - i just stole a copy of ur psyche eval. relax, all names were redacted. i had to use my power to get 'Steven'.

YourSecretKeeper: and secondly, hell, im not trying to blackmail u. the opposite in fact

YourSecretKeeper: i'm here to offer you a job.

* * *

Topic: **Skitter + Bugs**  
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Villains

White Fairy (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)  
Posted on June 5th, 2011:

Alright then, let's finally get this out of the way with:

 **What the hell is up with Skitter's bugs?**

A friend of mine was one of the workers hired to clean up the docks after the whole Empire 88 assault – he was sweeping up spiders large enough to eat _dogs_.

There were insects in there that I've sure as hell never seen before – and they were only the ones that died. How many other ones does Skitter have that she's still got crawling around?

My brother works at the hospital – he swears that the psyche wards have been overflowing with E88 members that have developed a debilitating fear of bugs. Based on the pictures I've seen, I don't blame them…

Come on, it's got to be pretty obvious by now. Skitter must have some secondary power that makes bugs larger, right?

(Showing page 13 of 13)

► AverageAlexandros (Cape husband)

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

No official comment from the PRT yet. There's piles of paperwork that goes into changing classifications, they don't do it easily.

Mind, they've definitely noticed. Last my wife heard, there was a memo going around saying that they were 'investigating all possibilities' and looking for evidence.

The curious thing is that apparently, on the bugs that they collected, genetically there's no real signs of genetic tampering – the majority of them were just really big mutants (although there were some weird outliers, which is making everyone curious). If Skitter does have some power that makes her bugs bigger, she's sure as hell not consistent with it.

► White Fairy (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)

Replied to AverageAlexandros on June 13th, 2011:

I'm honestly not sure. It's a weird one – personally I'm still leaning towards the bio-Tinker idea.

► Lolitup

Replied to White Fairy June 13th, 2011:

Nah, if she was a bio-Tinker that could work on that sort of scale, then the PRT would have a kill-order drafted up already.

► rowebx

Replied to Lolitup June 13th, 2011:

Unless they just weren't sure about it / wanted to keep it quiet / didn't want to escalate anything

► Thorian (Veteran Member)

Replied to Lolitup June 13th, 2011:

Honestly, people panic way too much every time a bio-Tinker appears – it's always the same, the media goes into absolute panic about anyone who might be 'Nilbog 2.0' (*sigh*), while the PRT just aren't bothered.

I mean – look at Blasto. Before he died, he operated in Boston for years Tinkering away with organics – no kill-order ever signed against him.

The PRT can only ever create a kill-order against capes for the things that they've actually _done_ (not on any speculation about what they might do, or based on any specific classification) and even then only in extreme cases. It's got way too much potential to backfire otherwise.

If Skitter ever crossed the line and created a swarm of superbugs that reproduce exponentially, or that could act as parasites inside humans or whatever, then there would be a kill-order and a ton of napalm fired at her within hours. Anything short of that, though, and the PRT won't risk escalating the situation so much – it would make every other villain with powers vaguely related to biology _way_ too nervous otherwise.

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Let's put this debate to rest, people.

I even went to talk to an entomology professor from Boston about this. It turns out most of those 'monster bugs' on the photos are perfectly normal insects from across the world – here's the link. They're a bit harder to recognize when charred, and they're foreign to America, but still perfectly normal. Skitter hasn't been making them – she's just been mass importing them from Australia.

 _That's_ all her lair was – just a glorified warehouse to store the insects when she smuggled them in.

As for the other bugs, there's a much better theory out there: before Boston sunk, Skitter was in a trade agreement with Blasto. She _hired_ him to genetically modify bugs for her, to make them bigger. After Blasto died, the trade agreement was broken, but Skitter tried to breed her already modified bugs with normal ones. Of course didn't work, but there were enough of the failed results littering her warehouse to confuse the authorities a bit. Now that Blasto is dead, Skitter can't get her hands on any more modified bugs, at least.

So yeah, let's make this clear, **Skitter is definitely not a bio-Tinker**.

► Clockblocker (Verified Cape)

Replied to YourSecretKeeper June 13th, 2011:

"she's just been mass importing them from Australia"

As a planet, can we please all just sign a petition to keep Skitter the hell away from Austrailia? Please?

► Tiosp

Replied to YourSecretKeeper June 13th, 2011:

Damn, between mass ordering bugs, arranging villain trade agreements, avoiding arrests, conquering the city and massacring the E88, Skitter sure does keep busy.

… Am I the only one wondering what she does in her downtime? You ever think she ever gets bored and starts trolling the shit out of PHO?

► Robby

Replied to Tiosp June 13th, 2011:

"You ever think she just gets bored and starts trolling the shit out of PHO?"

That's stupid.

► Skitter

Replied to Robby June 13th, 2011:

I know, right?

 **[USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST: Troll accounts aren't funny]**

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 … 10, 11, 12, 13.

* * *

Private message from PredatorS:  
June 13th, 2011

PredatorS: are you fucking serious?

YourSecretKeeper: totally. i'm offering a chance to bury the hatchet here. come join our team instead

PredatorS: why the fuck should i

YourSecretKeeper: how long do u have?

YourSecretKeeper: i've got a list

YourSecretKeeper: u still there?

PredatorS: … i'm listening. go ahead, give me a reason

YourSecretKeeper: you know, i know fine well that ur only pretending to go along here because u want to gain the upper hand on us

YourSecretKeeper: maybe ur even thinking of agreeing to join up just so u can take us down from the inside – sorry, but that's not even very original

YourSecretKeeper: but you know what? i don't care, i'm going to play along anyways

YourSecretKeeper: because i know that by the time i'm done you're actually going to be seriously considering it.

PredatorS: like fuck i will. u bunch are all losers. u think ur clever just because uve got some weird thinker power? lets meet face to face ill show u how clever u r

YourSecretKeeper: really? is that what Mr Ben Levine thought?

YourSecretKeeper: u remember him, right? that fat pig of a lawyer u took down a week ago. the creep was forcing himself on his secretary in an alley after work. u got him, beat the crap out of him, and brought him in.

YourSecretKeeper: good job, by the way. another sleazebag taken care of

YourSecretKeeper: except _this_ sleazebag was sleazy enough to pressure his secretary into not testifying. he claims it was a totally mutual sexual encounter, and that u attacked him unprovoked.

YourSecretKeeper: u watched that scumbag walk scotfree away from the PRT with an apology.

PredatorS: what's ur fucking point?

YourSecretKeeper: they havent told u yet, but Mr Ben Levine is pressing charges against u for gross assault. no evidence to disprove him, and he's threatening to turn it into a shitstorm – hes probably going to win the case. PRT will settle to keep it quiet, but ur probation is already violated

YourSecretKeeper: what? no comeback?

YourSecretKeeper: dont worry about it tho

YourSecretKeeper: six hours ago Mr Ben Levine was strangled for nearly two minutes by a silk cloth.

YourSecretKeeper: four hours ago, Mr Ben Levine completely retracted all charges against u. we got u covered.

YourSecretKeeper: do u want know why u should join the Undersiders?

YourSecretKeeper: u should join because _we_ don't let the sleazebags walk away. and we certainly don't give them an apology.

* * *

Topic: **Brockton Bay Chaos**  
In: Boards ► Events ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Riots

Bagrat (Original Poster)(Veteran Member) (Guy in the Know)  
Posted on June 10th, 2011:

 **FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON THE RIOTS AND CHOAS UNFOLDING IN BROCKTON BAY**

Updated 6/13/2011

Fourth day of the Brockton Bay riots.

Mandatory curfew has been declared – all civilians must return to their homes by 8pm.

All Ward and Protectorate patrols have been tripled.

The National Guard has been brought into reinforce the barricades.

It is being debated whether or not to halt all transport links into the city to stem the tide of refugees.

Crisis level has been raised to priority red.

The last riots are estimated to have 10,000 participants – that number is still apparently growing.

The downtown area has been devastated – wide scale looting across the city.

Many reports of civilians being forced out of their homes and buildings torched.

Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown has authorized special powers to all law enforcement agencies to stem the chaos.

Alexandria has promised that no quarter will given against rioters and looters.

(Showing page 247 of 247)

► Xyloloup (Veteran Member)

Replied to Lady EB June 13th, 2011:

"How could these riots still be going on here with Alexandria there to stop them, for goodness sake?"

Even Alexandria can't be everywhere at once.

► Vanth (New Member)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Fuck, these riots are great fun

I just got a new phone, two televisions, plus this swanky new laptop. Tonight I'm aiming for a new car.

► Laser Augment (Veteran Member)

Replied to Vanth June 13th, 2011:

I do hope you're joking. I'm slightly scared that you're not…

Unfortunately, anyone who doesn't have anything is using the riots as an excuse to get something. Anyone who wants more is taking that too.

Seriously, please, please stay at home at night. Anyone who doesn't feel safe, they're opening up the Endbringer shelters for emergency. People are gathering at churches and townhalls until it's over. Things are getting bad out there – find somewhere safe and stay low.

We've got looters, gangs and villains running rampage out there. This has to stop soon.

► LostWendy (Boston Survivor)

Replied to Laser Augment June 13th, 2011:

Fuck you – you've got no idea what's it like. People lost everything and are being herded like cattle while u still act fucking judgemental.

U should have given to those in need when you had the chance. Now we're going to take it.

 **[USER RECEIVED AN INFRACTION FOR THIS POST: Keep it civil]**

► Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (Guy in the Know)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

 **UPDATE**

Here's a rundown of the current status of supervillains in the city:

• Coil's Organisation – the last of the original big names, but he's mostly hunkered down. He isn't doing so well with the chaos, he's keeping low.

• The Merchants – barely anything left of them now, but they've fractured into lots of small groups. Skidmark was taken down hard by Alexandria.

• The ABB – Last I heard, Oni Lee was still operating, but no one is following except for a few diehard ABB members. He's barely anything anymore – can't even keep any territory.

• Chosen's Scythe – What little remains in the city of the Empire, headed by Stormtiger and Cricket, with none of the old E88's infrastructure. They've been spotted trying to take the Boardwalk, fought with the Wards a few times, but sent running each time.

• Uber and Leet – Their Livestream channel has been placed on hiatus. Haven't been seen for a while.

… And the most notable of the new gangs/villains that have sprouted up:

• The Deadites – New to the cape scene, but they've got some pretty good hitters. No one is sure about names, but they've team has fielded: a guy that can cause an aura of muscle decay, a Brute with very long fingers/sharp claws, and some girl that seems to be a healer. They all have a rave / goth theme going on – they were spotted blaring punk music at the front of the a riot.

• Cockroaches – Not sure about these guys, but the name given to a gang of Changers / Brutes (?) that have been hitting small convenience stores and bank ATMs quite hard. Actual numbers unknown, but have been operating across the city in a spree of minor robberies – all perpetrated by figures covered up from head to toe, but with distinctly inhuman shapes, so may be a gang of Case 53s?

• The Smugglers, the Pinchers, and Squeak's Crew – Three separate gangs, all of them offshoots from the Merchants, all heavy drug dealers. They spend more time fighting each other than they do everyone else.

• The Drowned Men – Gang of Boston refugees, they've been leading quite a few riots and forcing people into taking part and threatening murder against anyone who doesn't. They're led by a guy called Diluvium – a pretty powerful Shaker / Breaker that can cause some severe collateral damage. The Protectorate tried to get him the other day, but he ended up causing so much carnage that even Alexandria had to back off before the collateral became too high. They're nasty even by Brockton Bay's standards.

• The Lost Boys – Another refugee gang, which seems to have at least four core capes; a teleporter, an aerokinetic, a flyer, and some kind of Trump (?). They have a whole 'steal from the rich' creed going, but they consider the 'rich' to be anyone who isn't dirt poor, so they've been causing a lot of damage.

• The Mutants – ?

Other gangs that appear to be moving into Brockton Bay:

• The Fallen – The Endbringer-worshipping gang is officially moving into Brockton Bay. Both Valefor and Eligos have been spotted raising havoc in the slums with one of their 'sermons'. The superhero team Haven tried to stop them, and it didn't end well.

• The Adepts – A local branch in Brockton Bay has formed, recruiting from any recently Triggered capes in the chaos of the city

• The Teeth – It's official, the Teeth are now moving back to Brockton Bay. Right now, the city is going wild, the old players are gone, and the Teeth are one of the biggest groups armed to take a slice of the action.  
Although still no word on the Butcher's whereabouts (rumours of a Butcher XV are circulating), nevertheless Spree and Animos have both been identified smuggling weapons into the city and setting up safe houses – doubtlessly in preparation for a big offensive.

Rumours that Topsy's gang has been making moves appear to be unsupported. Accord has been confirmed to have left south – Brockton Bay has become too chaotic for the Ambassadors.

Right now, the situation has become dire. Too many gangs, too little structure. This is what happens when the big players disappear – everyone else tries to take a slice of the pie.

► XxXxXxXx1

Replied to Bagrat June 13th, 2011:

Dude, what about the fucking Undersiders? You never mentioned them

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied to XxXxXxXx1 June 13th, 2011:

The Undersiders are the only gang not taking part in the riots at all.

As a matter of fact, the Undersiders have been operating in Slum City, offering money to all inhabitants specifically for staying _out_ of the riots and not taking part.

Furthermore, Skitter has made it expressly clear that she will be very upset with anyone who takes part.

You don't want to see what happens when Skitter gets upset, guys.

► Runic

Replied to Bagrat June 13th, 2011:

In your opinion, which of the new gangs are going to be the next big players in the city?

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied to Runic June 13th, 2011:

Why? U want to know if they're hiring?

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …244, 245, 246, 247.

* * *

Private message from Runic:  
June 13th, 2011

Runic: I don't believe you. Prove it.

YourSecretKeeper: Oh rly? k then. in about five minutes, look out side ur window and ur going to see a swarm of wasps flying formation over the boardwalk - just for you

YourSecretKeeper: That proof enough for u?

Runic: What do you want?

YourSecretKeeper: uou've been searching around the forums a lot recently. looking at who's who - the different gangs that are up and coming. my guess, you've realised how hard it is being alone, and ur looking for a new crew.

YourSecretKeeper: allow me to put ours in the hat

Runic: You killed my old crew - they were friends of mine

YourSecretKeeper: liar. purity was the only one who was ever decent to u, and she left kaiser faster than any1. The rest of them treat u like dirt, kaiser straight up manipulated u, and u stayed cause u didn't have have anywhere else.

Runic: Fuck off. I know what games you play

YourSecretKeeper: really? i'm just telling the truth here. do u remember that time when hookwolf tried to force himself on u? u barely got away, but even after u never said a word.

YourSecretKeeper: u kept quiet cause u knew that no one cared. if u had forced kaiser to choose between u or hooky, that wouldn't be much of a choice for him. instead u were nearly raped and no one cared

YourSecretKeeper: face it - the Empire only ever used u

YourSecretKeeper: … Hookwolf died screaming, btw. you're welcome

Runic: So what? you want to use me now. Fuck, you're worse than kaiser ever was.

YourSecretKeeper: no

YourSecretKeeper: if nothing else, i can promise this - we will **always** care.

* * *

Topic: **Update**  
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Teams ► New Wave

NewWaveOfficial (Original Poster) (Verified Cape Account)  
Posted in June 11th, 2011:

This is New Wave, reporting that Glory Girl is recovering nicely and is stable condition – thank you very much for the efforts of Anders Memorial in helping her recover.

All of the kind thoughts and well wishes from our supporters are much appreciated.

This tragedy has taken its toll on many of our members, but we would like to reiterate that remains committed to helping this city and maintaining the morals and ideals of that this group was founded on.

 **[6/12/2011 – ACCOUNT HAS BEEN DELETED**.]

(Showing page 6 of 6)

► Cut and Run

Replied on June 11th, 2011:

For what it's worth, I'm sorry.

► OldBoy

Replied on June 11th, 2011:

No response to reports on why Panacea hasn't been doing her rounds through the hospitals, then?

► Lady EB

Replied to NewWaveOfficial June 11th, 2011:

Where are you? My father was stabbed – he's in critical condition at Brockton General, and Panacea was scheduled to visit him yesterday. We've been on the waiting list for two weeks now, and he's barely holding on. You were supposed to heal him. Please, you've got to help him, he's in critical condition.

I know that I've been messaging you a lot, but please, please, please Panacea you've got to help him.

► White Fairy (Veteran Member)

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

The team is falling apart. My brother works at the memorial –apparently he overheard the New Wave having a full-blown screaming match at each other the other day. At one point the staff had to call in the Protectorate to try and calm things down.

Also, from what he was telling me, Panacea healed Glory Girl to get her out of critical condition, but then as soon as Glory Girl woke up she start going crazy and banning Panacea from touching her. He also said they were yelling a lot about what happened to Carol or something, but then they started to clear the wards and he couldn't here what.

► imcold99301 (New Member)

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

 **[POST HAS BEEN DELETED BY MODERATORS: keep it civil]**

► kamavillain91 (Boston Survivor)

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

 **[POST HAS BEEN DELETED BY MODERATORS: Don't enflame the situation]**

► Pwnz133t

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

 **[POST HAS BEEN DELETED BY MODERATORS: Show some sympathy]**

► Gallant (Verified Cape)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

Can we all please have a bit of compassion here, please?

New Wave is going through a hard time right now, and needless hurtful remarks don't help anyone.

Likewise, I want you all to remember that everyone makes mistakes occasionally. Please, don't think that it makes you a bad person, it just makes you human. It is never too late to make things better.

Just remember, there are people there to talk if you want it. You don't have to go through this alone.

Please, if you're reading this, let someone help.

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied to Gallant on June 13th, 2011:

You're a good guy.

I'm sorry, but that's not always enough.

► XXIKnowWhatAmyDidXX (New Member)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

 **[POST HAS BEEN DELETED BY MODERATORS: Enjoy your lifetime ban. Your IP address has been reported to the police for this comment]**

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

 **THIS THREAD HAS BEEN LOCKED. NO FURTHER COMMENTS.**

* * *

Private message from PredatorS:

June 13th, 2011

PredatorS: why are u doing this?

PredatorS: I can't be a villain – the prt knows my identity. what's ur angle?

YourSecretKeeper: so what if they know who u r? we can get u a new identity if u want

YourSecretKeeper: if ur worried about ur family, don't be – they won't ever be able to hurt them to get to u

YourSecretKeeper: besides, we both know they weren't a very good family

PredatorS: how do I know this isn't a trap?

YourSecretKeeper: would 20k in ur bank account prove it?

PredatorS: … I could just take the money and then report u

PredatorS: all it would take is one phone call and then ur done

YourSecretKeeper: u wont. U haven't even touched ur phone since this conversation began.

PredatorS: are you spying on me?

YourSecretKeeper: no.

YourSecretKeeper: just a guess

* * *

Topic: **Trigger Events**  
In: Boards ► Capes ► Q&A ► Miscellaneous

Lady EB (Original Poster)  
Posted on May 25th, 2011:

I need to know – how does someone cause a trigger event? I mean, what sort of conditions are required? I know it comes from traumatic experience – but how much trauma exactly?

Also, what does it feel like? How much does it hurt?

Edit: I'm just looking for whatever information is out there.

(Showing page 2 of 2)

► Rollboy

Replied on June 5th, 2011:

Way to casually ask for details about the most confounding and personal events possible…

You want information? The only people who would know first-hand are capes, and they'll never tell – trigger events are the most painful and sensitive moments in a person's life.

► TAnders (Chicago)

Replied on June 5th, 2011:

I'd also be interested in any information anyone can provide. There's a lot of people that are just trying to find out as much possible.

► Monsta111

Replied to Lady EB June 6th, 2011:

You want powers that badly? Go jump of a cliff – you'll either trigger and fly or u won't and you'll be too dead to care.

Srsly, wtf is with u? This is like the fifth thread in the last week uve made asking how to become a cape…

► Devilish (New Member)

Replied on June 12th, 2011:

Pls, I rly need some help here I don't know what going on, but I was at this rally over the weekend and now fuck everything gone insane. pls just how do I deal with this shit theres got be someone out there that can help me

► Devilish (New Member)

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

FUCK WHY THE HELL DOES EVERYONE KEEP ON IGNORING ME?!

► YourSecretKeeper

Replied to Devilish June 13th, 2011:

See me. **Now**.

End of Page. 1, 2.

* * *

Private message from PredatorS:  
June 13th, 2011

YourSecretKeeper: u still there?

YourSecretKeeper: this is a limited time offer – u interested?

PredatorS: I want to meet. in person.

* * *

Topic: **Reopening / Welcome to the City Party**  
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Cape Doings ►Villains

Undecided (Original Poster)  
Posted on June 13th, 2011:

Good evening all newcomers. It's been a busy time for all of us. Many of you are new to the area, so we'd thought we'd extend an invitation to let you get the lay of the city.

If you don't know where it is, we'll be sending fireflies to show you. I'm very happy to announce the grand reopening of Somer's Rock – come on in and we can have a talk.

Strict dress code, black masks only.

(Showing page 1 of 1)

► YourSecretKeeper:

Replied on June 13th, 2011:

:)

End of Page. 1.


	13. Interlude: Amy

**2.b Interlude: Amy**

Amy's hands were cold as she sat on the edge of the hospital bed stiffly. She didn't know what to do with herself. What were you meant to do when you weren't rushing around hospitals trying to save as many lives as possible before finally collapsing from exhaustion? That had been her life for so long that Amy honestly never knew what she was meant to do now.

 _I suppose I have free time_ , she thought numbly. _I've never really had free time before_ …

Somehow, it didn't feel as good as she imagined it would.

 _Then again, I've never killed someone before, either_.

This week is just full of firsts.

It hadn't been said out loud, but all the doctors glared at her when she walked through the wards. They didn't object when an emergency patient was brought in and Amy went to help, but somehow the quiet mutters said more than the screaming ever did.

The thought of their glares caused Amy's stomach to clench.

Amy knew that, except in the most extreme of patients, Amy wasn't permitted to heal anyone anymore. With all of the rumours circulating, Amy honestly couldn't blame them.

The quiet suspicion was almost as bad as the questioning. At first, it had just been a befuddled police officer responding to a public disturbance. Then it had been a stiff detective who sat facing Amy for nearly two hours, asking her questions in a firm, unyielding voice.

As more details came out and more accusations were levelled against her, and the doctors started to piece the pieces together, slowly the police faded away. It quickly became obvious that this went over their jurisdiction. That was when the PRT stepped in.

The scary part was that the PRT officers had hardly asked any questions at all. Instead, they had just listened quietly, but the look in their eyes had been like they just _knew_.

It certainly hadn't been lost on Amy that none of the PRT officers had never stepped within seven feet of her. Standard Striker protocol, she realised with a twinge of fear. They treated her like she was a threat. A hostile.

In any case, the officers had left now. They simply said the 'investigation was on-going', before walking away. Now, it felt like Amy was caught in that awkward moment that none of the movies or TV shows ever focused on; that period after all the accusations had been levelled, but before anyone had a reached a decision and the evidence was still unravelling. That awkward moment when Amy wasn't under arrest, but instead she just had nothing to do but sit quietly and try to hide from all the rumours and glares.

Amy knew how it would end. Maybe with everything else going on in the city they were all distracted, but that wouldn't last. Sooner or later, Amy would be prosecuted for the murder of Carol Dallon.

And the _worst_ bit… Amy couldn't even convince herself that the accusations weren't justified anymore.

It had started in Boston. That had been the moment when everything had went wrong.

New Wave had arrived late for Leviathan. Honestly, by the time they reached Boston, the waves were already pulverising the city. The battle was just starting to go downhill, and everything was more chaotic than Amy could possibly have imagined. Eventually, when the storm became too dangerous, it was decided that the team had to split up. They decided that Amy had to stay behind for safety, along with Glory Girl for protection, while the rest of the fliers carried the team ahead to try and help.

In the end, despite all the preparation and the anxiety, New Wave's contribution was practically negligible. Amy hadn't been there, but apparently after all the clones appeared, things became so hectic that the team hadn't even been able to tell who they were meant to be fighting against. Lady Photon made the decision to try to retreat and regroup, and then was just about it for their part in the battle.

Except that hurricane-force winds tore a building apart, and a flying brick caught her off-guard from behind and slammed straight into the back of Amy's mother's head, before she had a chance to make her shield.

Brandish had went down, hard, and she never woke up again.

In an ideal world, they could have got Brandish to Amy straight away and maybe things would have been different. Instead, between the storm and the chaos, the team lost track of what was going on and got separated.

Meanwhile, Vicky had to fly Amy away from their meetup point once the big wave flooded absolutely everything. There were no reports – even Dragon's coordination software lost control of the situation for a bit. For a long while, no one had any idea what was going on.

Flash-forward twenty-four hours, and Panacea ended up at a refugee camp, healing anyone wherever she could. The rest of her family was at a different camp, somewhere, but she had no idea where. There were still droves of clones ravaging everywhere; the fighting didn't stop even after Leviathan left. Vicky tried to do sweeps of the surroundings, but in the end she had to keep close to protect Amy.

By the time that anyone finally managed to get any sort of order again, things were still hectic. It was nearly three days before Amy, frantic with panic, finally heard about what happened to the rest of her family.

Everyone in New Wave survived, but barely. Carol was stable, but she was in a coma and wasn't waking up.

She had suffered severe brain trauma.

That last bit was delivered with a whisper. Amy had frozen solid. They all knew that Amy couldn't – _wouldn't_ – heal brains.

Vicky was nearly besides herself with grief. Amy had just felt numb. They all knew what that meant even before Amy even had a chance to touch and inspect Carol herself.

Amy had been terrified – frozen in fear – that she would have choose between her own code and saving the life of her mother. Or worse, that her own family would force her to choose.

Finally, when they did meet up again, Amy had all of her reasons prepared. She had already made the decision. She had mentally rehearsed everything that was going to say. ' _The mind is too complicated, I could do some serious damage'_. ' _If I tried, it would never be the same_ '. ' _I can't restore memories, I can't put everything back the way it was_ '. ' _I can't heal brains – I can't heal a personality_ '…

… Carol had almost looked peaceful as Amy had walked towards her hospital bed. The anticipation in the room was suffocating. The moment as Amy moved her hand towards her mother had been the most nerve-wracking that she had ever experienced…

And then, when Amy finally did touch her, the shock sent ripples down her spine.

It turned out that Carol Brandish had been misdiagnosed. Amy's mother hadn't really had brain damage – the _real_ damage had been in her spinal column and central nervous system.

Admittedly it was close to the brain, but not quite the same as the actual cognitive functions. The line was blurry, in many cases. Amy could heal _that_ with no ethical issues.

The shock had frozen Amy for nearly ten whole seconds. And even though Amy could have healed her, somehow she just… _didn't_.

… And the whole room interpreted Amy's silence as the confirmation that they had all been preparing for. It was like everyone else had been rehearsing Amy's excuses as well.

Amy's skin squirmed. She knew that she should have healed her mother, but… somehow she just _couldn't_.

This was the woman that had emotionally tortured Amy all of her childhood. Amy knew it was wrong, she knew it was hideous, but she just couldn't bring herself to heal Carol.

Every time Amy tried to she thought of the way that Carol had always looked at her, like Amy was some bug that crawled into their home. She thought of the way Carol had never appreciated her, who had _tortured_ her with emotional neglect, who had never _once_ appreciated how hard Amy worked, or the toll that it was taking on her…

… the woman who always doted on Vicky and always left Amy staring from the outside, and left watching a family that she could never really be a part of…

Amy had told herself that she had just been too stunned to process it properly. She told herself that the others had made the decision they were all expecting too fast and pulled Amy away too soon. She told herself that she kept quiet afterwards simply because she wasn't sure, and she didn't want to get everyone's hopes up.

 _After all_ , Amy had reasoned. _There was_ some _brain damage_. Her whole brain had been swollen from the impact. There were parts of Carol's injuries that Amy could heal and parts that she couldn't.

Brains _were_ hideously complicated, and even if Amy had done all that she could then it probably wouldn't have meant an instant recovery. It possibly would have allowed a recovery later, but there were never any guarantees.

Amy had told herself that Carol was stable, that there was no urgency and she had time to figure it out later, but she didn't want to give anyone false hope. She told herself that it would properly be best, in any case, to give Carol's body time to recover by itself, so the swelling had a chance to ease and the trauma to recover naturally. It would make everything safer when Amy did come back and try to heal her mother properly.

… And yet Amy had still walked away without a word, leaving Carol in a coma and nobody had known.

That had been nearly a month ago now. It had been a busy month.

Mark had taken his wife's coma hard. Really hard. In the end, his sister-in-law had to stage an intervention, gathering the whole team around her, and Mark agreed to check himself in for treatment. Vicky and Amy moved in with Sarah, and well… things hadn't been so bad.

Vicky had been in absolute pieces with grief, and yet somehow Amy just… wasn't.

Instead, it had just been Vicky and Amy, and Vicky had clung onto Amy for support so tightly. It felt like the sisters were closer than they ever were.

And Amy thought constantly about Carol, still lying in a hospital bed, but, well, Amy knew that if she went to heal her, the first thing they would demand was 'why didn't you do this sooner?' Amy didn't think she could have handled Vicky screaming that accusation at her.

So Amy decided to give it a bit more time. Carol wasn't going anywhere, after all, and Amy was busy. There were _always_ other people that needed her. As soon as Amy got back she had to spent days cleaning up the mess of Skitter exploding a warehouse, so she never had time for much else.

The only person who noticed anything different about her was Gallant. Amy wasn't quite sure what change Gallant saw in her emotions, but he started almost stalking her for a bit, even brushing off Vicky to try and get Amy to 'talk'. Gallant couldn't read minds – Amy didn't think he knew _exactly_ what she had done, but maybe he had put some of the pieces together? And Amy knew that he was only trying to help, but she just didn't want to hear it.

Honestly, Amy had just felt _free_.

It was like a chain had been lifted from her. Amy still frequently went to the hospital to stare at Carol, hands hovering over her skin in indecision, but during the day she was just happy. She had Vicky, and they were so _close_ , closer than they had ever been, and Amy just didn't want that to change. Maybe was in denial, but she didn't care.

Amy wanted – no, _needed_ – her life to change. She couldn't have survived the way she had been living, and she needed something different.

She wanted to live more, she wanted to make a difference, she wanted to help people more than just in a hospital room.

And then when the rest of New Wave were talking about what to do about Skitter and the Undersiders reigning terror over the city, Amy felt that overwhelm. All of sudden, she wanted to do something more proactive than just picking up after gang wars and she found herself announcing to the team 'I know how to shut down Skitter's bugs'.

… As it happened, that was the second biggest mistake Amy made that week.

The whole attack on the Undersiders was an absolute disaster that left Vicky in critical condition and the whole team fractured. It still wasn't the worst thing that Amy caused.

The worst thing happened forty-eight hours before, when the news came in from the hospital. As New Wave had been planning their assault, it turned out that Carol's condition took a turn for the worse. The latest MRI reports came in – Carol Dallon was now showing absolutely zero cognitive brain activity.

She had become completely brain dead, with no chance of recovery. Amy would have had to be able to resurrect the dead to heal her now.

The very thought made Amy's body jump. She was suddenly on her feet, pacing the room. _Did I do that?_ Amy thought frantically, blinking madly. Amy honestly didn't know.

Actually, that wasn't true. The truth was that Amy didn't even know whether she knew or not.

At this point, she couldn't even tell what was a valid reason and what was just her trying to convince herself of her own excuses.

That was the thing that nobody appreciated. Amy's powers weren't magic – they had their limits. Those limits were just harder to define than with most powers, and so, so many people assumed that they weren't there.

For instance, Amy's biokinesis was mental. As in, she had to _will_ flesh to shift and for cells to knit together. Her powers relied on her focus and on her consciously telling them what to do. Now, though, Amy was starting to question whether or not her subconscious could control her powers as well.

Amy suddenly thought of all those nights that she had spent by Carol's side, touching her arm, inspecting all of her injuries while she internally debated what to do.

Now then, it was fully possible that there was simply a faster cognitive degeneration than Amy had anticipated, and that Carol's injuries had taken their toll and her brain had withered away. Alternatively, there might have been a problem with the life support, or maybe the hospital had got the drug dosage wrong, and Carol (who was already in a very fragile state) had ended up irreversibly brain dead.

… Or maybe Amy had been so torn up what to do about Carol's so-called 'brain damage', and so she had subconsciously given Carol very real brain damage. Maybe Amy had inadvertently murdered her mother and never even realized.

Or, hell, maybe it had been entirely deliberate and Amy was just deluding herself.

 _I just killed my mother_ , Amy thought with shock, but her body felt hollow with the thought.

Everything had changed after their attack on Skitter. Vicky had been shipped to the hospital in _pieces_ , shredded into critical condition, and Amy had rushed to save her life. Amy spent nearly twelve hours of intense healing to put Vicky's body together, piece by piece. It had been one of the most severe and fastest healings Amy had ever done. They needed hundreds of IV bags and blood transfusions for organic material, while Amy had painstakingly converted everything to match Vicky's genetic material. Amy reattached her sister's arm, filled in all of those holes in her body, and she had been left absolutely exhausted…

Amy still remembered that moment clearly. Vicky had been unconscious, but she was healing. She looked so pale, so delicate and Amy had just leant over to check her breathing, but her lips…

… And then Vicky woke up and she absolutely freaked out. Vicky saw Amy and screamed.

That was when all of Amy's life started to fall apart.

There were tears in Amy's eyes now. She had replayed that moment a thousand times until it all started to blur together. The yelling, the screaming. New Wave had a family argument right in the middle of the hospital…

… Carol. Her mother. That accusation had come from Vicky, screaming incoherently. Amy couldn't understand why she would bring it up then, but…

…And Amy had been so exhausted and she just broke down…

…There was screaming…

…The police came to try and sort anything out…

…And then doctors had a closer look at Carol's old MRI scans and suddenly all of the inconsistencies in Amy's story started to come out…

…There was more screaming then…

Amy took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The room was spinning. The doctors had trusted Amy's healing, but they weren't incompetent either. Hell, a good neurologist understood a hell of lot more about how the brain worked than Amy did – all of Amy's knowledge was just intuitive. They could put the pieces together. Amy knew where that would lead.

 _You could have healed your mother. You lied and you didn't. You killed her to cover your tracks_.

And Amy couldn't even say it was wrong.

A hell of a lot of people in the hospital heard the argument. Suddenly, Panacea wasn't so infallible anymore.

There were other accusations joining that first one quickly. It had barely been two days, but even with the riots in the city, it was turning into a scandal. The problem was that it was very hard to disprove any of the accusations.

 _You healed my father a year ago and now he has cancer. You healed my son's arm but he is still in physiotherapy. You reattached my husband's foot, why didn't you cure the brain tumour?_

It was enough to make Amy want to scream. Anybody who didn't have biokinesis couldn't understand. Did they not understand how detailed and complicated the body was? How many things could go wrong? _Just because I healed you doesn't mean you're immune to sickness!_ Amy wanted to bellow. _How could I notice tiny conditions that haven't even developed yet?! How could I cure everything that might possibly happen?!_

 _I CAN'T HEAL EVERYTHING!_

Amy nearly screamed. Instead, there was just sharp intake of breath as her whole body clenched. All she wanted to do was help. Now, she was trapped torturing herself in a cupboard in the hospital where she was barely welcome. She didn't have anywhere else to go. Her family didn't want her.

And besides, Amy couldn't leave the hospital. Vicky was here, still in fairly critical treatment. The obvious physical injuries were mostly gone, but being mauled half to death wasn't something you could just shrug off, even with Amy's help. If Vicky had a bad reaction, then her sister might need her…

… There were also security guards outside her sister's room with strict instructions to keep Amy out…

That was a depressing thought.

It took Amy nearly thirty seconds to regain focus again. _Hell_ , Amy thought bitterly, _I've got no idea how my powers_ really _work. Maybe I really am causing cells to become cancerous every time I use them_ … _?_

She had absolutely no doubt it would be one of the accusations levelled against her at her trial.

It would be one of hell of a trial. The PRT couldn't, and wouldn't, try to cover it up. Amy was already being threatened by random assholes online. The media was already starting to get wind of the story, and they would portray her as a murderer inflicting suffering on those she was pretending to help. It had absolutely all the makings of shit-storm brewing in the background.

 _Holy shit_ , Amy thought with shock. _When exactly did I become a villain?_

Amy sat in silence for a long time. She couldn't _bear_ to leave. There wasn't even anger anymore just the miserable, utter… unfairness of it all. It was like depression but without the focus.

The silence was shattered by the quiet buzzing of her mobile phone. Amy almost jumped from the noise, before fumbling into her pocket to reach it. The phone was ringing, but Amy never recognised the number. She frowned, before letting it ring out. _I've had enough blackmails and death threats for one day_.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again. Amy watched it buzzing, but didn't touch it.

Another five minutes, the phone rang one more time and then Amy's eyes widened as suddenly she saw flies swarming on the outside of the hospital window. The insects buzzed and reformed until they formed letters and words.

'COULD YOU PLEASE ANSWER YOUR PHONE?' the black mass of insects spelled clearly.

Amy's mouth dropped open, before she glared and hit the button. " _Skitter_ ," Amy growled into the phone.

"Hi," the voice on the other end replied almost sheepishly. It was a girl's voice and it sounded surprisingly normal without the insect mask and insect buzzing.

There was a pause. "… You bitch…" Amy snarled. Hating Skitter was easier than hating herself.

"Look, I'm not here to start an argument," Skitter said pleadingly. "I'm just, well, I'm here to say sorry."

Amy's hands clenched. "Sorry? _SORRY_?" She screamed. "You ripped Vicky's arm off and tried to maul her to death and you say fucking _sorry_?! When I get a hold of you, I'm goin–"

"I just transferred a million dollars into your sister's bank account," Skitter said quickly.

That caused Amy to pause in shock. She blinked. "What?!"

"One million dollars, no strings attached," Skitter explained. "It's just gone through into Victoria Dallon's bank account. It's all hers."

She hesitated. "… I suppose it's only fair," Skitter continued in a mumble. "I mean, Glory Girl _was_ the one that 'got' you, after all…"

 _Was that supposed be a joke?_ Amy almost growled, when Skitter said quickly. "But it's more than that. Consider it an apology for what happened to her. I never meant for… well, let's just say things got out of control." Her voice was almost pleading. "Can we say the money is just our attempt at an apology for taking things so far? Compensation towards the unwritten rules?"

Amy's mouth dropped open. There was a long silence while Amy tried to think. Just the hell was she playing at?

"Are you still there?" Skitter asked.

Amy nodded, dumbly. "Yes," she said after realisation. Suspicion dawned after another pause. "I think you're scared that I'm going to shut down your bugs again and you're trying to pay me not to."

"No," Skitter replied. Amy could hear her shaking her head. "You're welcome to try that again, but you caught me off-guard last time. It won't happen again. I've already put the orders into my swarm to shut down any insects that you modify – it really won't do any good. There's no ulterior motive here, this is just a peace offering."

The silence was awkward. "… The money is for Vicky," Skitter said softly. "… But I heard about what's been happening with you. It's… I'm sorry for that as well. If you ever need help…"

"Help?" Amy balked instinctively. "From _you_?"

Her voice flickered. "Look, I know I'm not your favourite person, but… um." She hesitated. "… but I was going through some stuff not so long ago, and I really wish that there had been someone there for me then, so… so if you ever feel like you're trapped or anything, well, I want to be there…"

Her voice trailed off, waiting for a reply. Amy just froze.

 _Jesus_ , Amy thought breathlessly. _… Have things really gone so fucked up that I've got an evil villainous warlord phoning up and offering_ therapy _?_

After a long pause, Amy quietly just hit the hang up button and threw the phone down. The bugs on the window seemed to hesitate, before dispersing quietly.

Amy was left staring at the wall in shock, before slowly picking up her phone again. She went onto the web browser and impatiently waited for the internet to load.

Vicky was always the big sister. It had only been recently that Amy got a bank account of her own, before that they always used to put their allowance in hers. Amy still knew Vicky's account details.

When the website finally loaded, sure enough Amy was left staring in shock at the number shown on screen. There was $ 1,000,074.56 shown in her sister's bank account.

 _Well, holy shit_ …

One million dollars. Amy honestly never knew what to think. Would it be confiscated by some authorities? It was probably drug money, after all. Amy had no idea. All she knew was that her sister was suddenly a millionaire.

And all because some villain felt guilty about nearly murdering a hero.

Amy's hands clenched. _No_ , she thought firmly. _Fuck you Skitter – it doesn't work like that. One good deed doesn't make up for all of the bad._

Amy's eyes went dark. _And neither could one bad mistake be redeemed by years of good_ …

Amy knew that she was hiding. She had locked herself up in a cupboard, too scared to run but even more terrified to show her face. She knew that everything was just going to get worst. The PRT might be distracted, but sooner or later someone would press charges against her.

Her family didn't want to see her. Her family didn't want her. Amy knew she was just trying to cling on to something that had never been hers in the first place. _Vicky_ didn't want her.

The minutes ticked by quietly.

… Vicky was always the big sister. Vicky had trusted Amy so much she never bothered to change the password…

One million dollars.

After a long, long moment of doubt, Amy clicked on the 'Make a Transfer' button, and quickly transferred five hundred thousand into her own bank account.

Amy hadn't even realised she made the decision until suddenly she was stripping off her costume for plain clothes and charging out the door.

Vicky was never going to forgive her. Hell, Amy didn't _deserve_ forgiveness.

It was best for everyone if Amy just disappeared.

Five hundred thousand dollars was enough to start a new life. She would have to get to a cash machine as soon as possible to withdraw whatever she could. There wasn't any arrest warrant out for her yet, but Amy didn't trust that it wasn't coming. Amy didn't know how to go on the run, but it was best if she found out.

She walked out of the hospital, shoulders slumped as she prayed nobody recognised her face. It was approaching sunset outside. There had been riots every night for days and the city was most certainly not a safe place, but most of the damage was downtown.

If she was fast, she shouldn't hit any trouble.

The airport wasn't too far away. Amy could have called a taxi, but suddenly she felt like running. She didn't have a plan, or any clothes or luggage, but there was a half a million dollars in her bank account and suddenly she just wanted to get the hell out of here.

She never knew where she wanted to go, but suddenly it seemed like anywhere was a better alternative to here. Whatever flight left this evening, she'd take it.

 _I've got leave this fucking godforsaken city behind_.

xxxxxxxxxxx

 _Los Angeles_ , Amy thought suddenly.

There was a flight leaving in two hours. Suddenly, Los Angeles looked like a good destination. It seemed fitting; there were no riots or chaos in LA, but she supposed they were missing a major hero.

Amy knew that they'd be able to track her. She had to use her passport, it would be pretty obvious. Still, hopefully their response would be delayed. The Brockton Bay PRT was in an uproar with the riots and the new villains, and it wasn't like there was any official warrant out on her yet. She could run before they got organised enough to start following her.

She had already taken out a couple of thousand dollars from the cash machine and shoved it in her purse. She wouldn't get through security with any more. She had her tickets, but it was too soon to go through security. When Amy reached LA, she could transfer as much money as possible into somewhere safe and then look for somewhere else to run.

Mexico seemed like the clichéd solution. Amy had always wanted to visit Europe, if she could risk using her passport again. She'd figure it out, somehow.

 _I've got powers_ , she told herself. _Pretty incredible powers, actually. I can use them. I've never made the most of my abilities, really – I've always just been a fairly minor league healer for local hospitals. Everyone always needed healers, I can find work_ …

The exhilaration and fear mixing together was mind-numbing. She was practically trembling as she watched the clock tick by, waiting for the boarding gate to open. She couldn't wait to get on that plane. Every second she was still in Brockton Bay felt like a bad second.

The whole airport felt deserted. Brockton Bay Airport was open, but under heavy security and restricted airlines. They were trying to stay open. There were guards with guns patrolling the terminal. Despite the preparations, though, the place was quiet. Most of the riots had so far been focused more on shopping malls and downtown areas rather than hospitals or airports.

Amy forced herself to sit down at a bar as she watched a local news report on a battle that had occurred the night before. A new villain, a man named Diluvium, had gone up against Alexandria of all people, and had somehow managed to walk away as well, straight through an entire PRT containment team as well as what little remained of the Brockton Bay Protectorate.

Diluvium had left two whole streets almost completely submerged in water in his wake. They were still struggling to evacuate people against the flooding. Apparently Brockton Bay now had a small lake downtown. Alexandria admitted she had had to abandon the fight before the lake became any bigger.

This whole city was going straight to hell.

There were too many new villains. Not really surprising, after a traumatic Endbringer attack, but it was still bad. The authorities _should_ have been able to quell the riots, but they couldn't so long as there so many capes taking part in them as well. Nobody could stop that many villains with no restraint that easily. Even Alexandria was spread too thin.

 _It was like a cycle_ , Amy thought bitterly, still glaring at the screen. All of the old villains were either gone or dead, so suddenly there was a new generation to take their place. Except that _this_ generation didn't play by the old rules and made the old ones look tame by comparison. Hell, Diluvium himself was Lung-level bad – maybe not as tough but with an extra helping of collateral damage instead…

 _How were the heroes ever supposed to win when there would always be more villains?_ She thought, eyes flickering. The best they could hope for is a constant repeating pattern of violence, damages and –

"Hey there, pretty girl." The voice jumped Amy out of her daydreams. There was a figure sitting down on the chair next to her.

Amy blinked. The man – boy, rather – looked about her age, maybe older. Seventeen or eighteen, if she had to guess. He wore tight jeans and a designer t-shirt under an open jacket, with a mop of unkempt black hair and bright blue eyes. Lean figure, athletic, with a wide smile, sharp features. Fairly handsome, if Amy had been interested in that. He had very sharp cheekbones.

The rest of the café was nearly deserted. She was in the corner. He chose the chair right next to her.. Amy really didn't like the way he barged suddenly into her personal space, sitting down too close for comfort.

"How you doing?" His smile didn't flicker.

 _Is he hitting on me?_ Amy thought, trying to stop herself from flustering. Her posture stiffened.

"I'm doing fine," she said defensively, trying to be unwelcome as possible. She had absolutely no idea what to do with boys. He didn't move. "Can you please leave? I really don't want any company."

If anything, his smile seemed to widen. He frowned slightly, eyes widening in realisation. "... Hey," Cheekbones muttered. Absolutely everything about him made Amy's skin crawl. "Do I know you?"

"I don't think so."

"No, I'm pretty sure I do," he said eagerly. "From the news. You're from that team right? You're, um, damn… what was it… ah! _Panacea_ , right?"

Amy's gaze darkened. "No, you're mistaken."

He didn't seem to hear her. Cheekbones somehow just grinned further. " _Damn_. You're like a celebrity. Can I get your autograph?"

 _Curse my mask-less costume_. "I'm not her."

"How about I get you a drink, then?"

"No." Her hands clenched. "Can you please get out of my face?"

"Aww." He pouted, flashing her a wink. "Come on, it's only a drink."

"Get lost," she growled, before standing up and moving to the table on the opposite side of the café.

She didn't quite catch it, but it sounded like he might have muttered something under his breath. When Amy turned back, Cheekbones was still staring and smiling right at her. She didn't like his gaze. He was leaning on his chair, spinning a penny with his finger absentmindedly on the table. The arrogance was practically oozing off him. Like he had never been rejected before.

 _Prick_ , Amy thought angrily. _And to think, if he had come into the hospital then I would have healed him like I did everyone_. Amy had had more than her fair share of jerks and douchebags.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. _This is a new start_ , she told herself. She wasn't running away, she leaving a city that had given her nothing but misery. They'd be _fighting_ over her power once she really got known. Maybe I could sign up with a corporation, become a sponsored hero. Someone that could give a fake identity. Hell, maybe a foreign superhero team. There must be plenty of people that would be willing to overlook a mistake in exchange for a healer that could cure practically anything.

Suddenly, life was full of opportunities. Brockton Bay had never had opportunities. Brockton Bay had only ever had Vicky.

Amy closed her eyes and reopened them slowly. I _can fix this._ She repeated the thought like a mantra. _I can fix this. I can sort myself out, I can let everything blow over, and maybe in a few years once everything has cooled down I could phone Vicky again and maybe –_

– _That coin is floating_.

The thought struck suddenly. It took a few seconds to register what her eyes were seeing. Cheekbones was still sitting at the table across from, looking off around the airport as he absentmindedly twiddled a penny around his finger.

Except the penny wasn't touching the table. The coin was floating inches off the surface, levitating in mid-air as it spun.

Amy stared. Nobody else was watching. Some sort of magic trick? But why…

Cheekbones must have caught her gaze. He slowly moved his hand, and the penny floated upwards slowly into the air, still spinning. It was nearly level with his head before he snatched it out of the air.

He turned and stared, before flashing Amy another smile, along with a slow, sly wink.

Their eyes met and suddenly Amy had to re-evaluate her opinion of him.

Maybe not just a random jerk that tried to flirt with her. That was… she didn't know what it was. Some kind of telekinesis, perhaps? One thing was certain; Cheekbones was a parahuman.

Suddenly, Amy wasn't so sure that this was just a coincidence. He was still smiling, but his eyes were dark.

A long moment passed. Amy never moved. His gaze never flickered.

He was after her.

They were still in a public place, surrounded by armed guards. Her mind raced. If he was targeting her for some reason, he obviously wasn't concerned about letting her know. If he was a cape, then chances were that the guards would be useless.

There was a long moment of silence. Slowly, Amy stood up, turned around and started working towards the ladies toilets. He waited a few seconds, and then casually strolled after her.

Her heart was pounding. She turned the corner, and there was a fire escape by the end of the corridor. Amy hesitated for one second, before pulling the handle open and walking quickly out into the airport carpark.

 _I can get back around towards the lobby. Hopefully, he'll think I've ran away. If he's still there I can sort something out_.

There was a buzz of an alarm as she shoved the fire escape open. Instantly, Amy broke into a sprint.

She heard the footsteps breaking into a run after her.

 _Fuck, I've got a stalker_.

The carpark was large and deserted. It was already dark. She hesitated, before changing directions and running straight towards an alleyway between the buildings. She could hear the footsteps coming after her.

There was a moment of doubt. Amy could either run for lobby, maybe scream for help, but then the police would get involved and they might ask why she's running, or…

Amy sidestepped suddenly behind a dumpster. She heard the footsteps running towards her. Her hands groped uselessly for a weapon, but then he was running past and there was no time…

She twisted around the corner and slammed her elbow backwards like a clothesline hook, at her head level. Her whole body jarred as she collided with something solid. He ran straight into her elbow. The force nearly took Cheekbones off his feet and sent him sprawling backwards.

" _Fuck!_ " Cheekbone screeched, clutching his nose. Blood was pouring from his nose, dripping down his jaw as he writhing in pain.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Amy demanded, fists clenched.

"You fucking bitch–!" Cheekbones growled, before lunging at her, one arm swinging while the other one still clutched his bloody face.

Amy wasn't much of a fighter, but she sidestepped that one easily and kicked his ankles so he went crashing into the ground. She tried to reach down to touch his skin to disable him with her power, but he twisted out of reach at the last moment and clambered to his feet.

There was a pause. His eyes looked absolutely insane with fury. His face twisted in rage until he looked almost inhuman. Amy slowly raised her arms into a fighting stance. He was bigger, and probably stronger, than her, but Amy didn't care. _She_ was still angrier. All it would take was one touch and she could have him.

He glared at her, before lunging in for another punch. Amy's body tensed as she dropped into the stances she learned at self-defence class. Her arms raised protectively, her arm poised to absorb the blow as her other arm readied for the counterattack….

And yet there was no impact. Instead, as soon as he was about to touch her the whole world spun upside down.

Amy felt the breath drag out of her as she suddenly flying backwards with breakneck speed. She couldn't even feel the wind rushing past her, but she was spiralling and flailing madly as she shot over the carpark so quickly her eyes couldn't even process it. She tried to scream, but she couldn't even get the words out.

A second later, and a huge wall shot into view. Amy should have crashed into it with tremendous force, but instead as soon as she hit the wall it felt as soft as pillow hitting against her shoulder. She bounced off the wall, flying into the street, before bouncing again and spinning so fast –

Suddenly, gravity reasserted itself. Amy was a metre off the ground before the effect wore off and she was sent crashing downwards. She almost landed head first as she collapsed into a painful pile in the street.

Her head was spinning madly. There was so much nausea she almost puked. Amy was sent flailing on the ground, gasping as the disorientation was nearly crippling.

Her whole body was shivering with panic. _What did he just do to me?_

When she finally managed to regain her surroundings, she slowly realised that she had flown nearly three hundred metres from her last position, straight out of the airport, in the blink of an eye. That type of speed should have killed her, but she hadn't even felt it until the effect wore off…

She should have blocked the punch, but Amy still went flying in the direction he punched her.

 _He's a Striker_ , Amy realised with shock. _He touched me with his punch and he did something to me_. She never even had time to use her powers. Her head was still in pieces, trying to recover. She could barely walk with all the dizziness. She could barely even stand as she heard the voice behind him.

"Hello there, pretty girl!" The boy called. He was behind her, casually standing on top of the building opposite, one story up. The street was deserted. They were in a back street filled with garages, already a good distance from the airport.

Fuck.

Amy ran. She didn't know why, she just knew that this guy was dangerous and she had to run.

She barely made it five feet before Cheekbones crashed down onto her from the rooftop. He landed on her with all the force of a very soft pillow, but as soon as he touched her, physics stopped making sense again.

The whole world blurred.

She blinked, and suddenly she was crashing into a tree at the other side of the street without impact before spinning uncontrollably around the air. She got caught in the branches before she shot off upwards, and then a few seconds later everything reasserted itself. She landed with a dull and painful crack, gasping on the ground.

This time, she really did throw up. She could hear laughter as the puke lurched from her throat.

 _What the fuck is he doing to me?_ She thought with panic. It was like he could turn her completely weightless, so she floated around without gravity but at blinding speed. The impacts didn't hurt when she was massless, but then as soon as the effect wore off she just fell.

He was laughing. Amy's heart lurched as he realised he was playing with.

"Where you going, pretty girl?" Cheekbones teased, flashing her a bloody smile. In the dark, highlighted only by the streetlights, his face barely looked human.

Oh god, oh god, oh god…

Amy was nearly hyperventilating with panic. Without a second thought, she turned and tried to shamble away down an alleyway. She barely made it two steps before an invisible wall pushed her to the ground.

For the third time in seconds, she landed painfully against concrete. _I'm bleeding_ , she thought with shock, feeling the blood dripping from her forehead. Her ankle was twisted, possibly broken. She couldn't heal herself.

As she looked up, there were two other figures blocking off the escape. They weren't here to help.

Cheekbones was still laughing as he walked towards her. "Come on now, pretty girl, we just want to have some fun."

… Oh god, oh god, oh god…

The whole scene blurred. Amy couldn't even process it. Her whole body was failing on her. The panic was too much, it consumed all rational thought.

"Wh-Who are you?" Amy stammered, crawling backwards. Three figures. There was Cheekbones, and two others. One of them looked like a girl – wearing black trousers and high heels, with long curtails. The other one was male, standing backwards, out of sight.

"Me?" Cheekbones gaze darkened. "Me? I'm _nobody_. I'm _trash_. I'm just one of the many people you don't give a shit about."

Amy tried to stand up. She tried to fight. She wanted to fight. As soon as she tried to pull herself off the ground, it was like an invisible force hit her and pushed her backwards. Not particularly roughly, but as firm as a solid gust of wind. _It was the girl_ , Amy thought frantically. _Another cape_.

Rough hands gripped Amy's hair and yanked her backwards. She yelped, but Cheekbones was holding her by the hair from behind, forcing her to the ground. Amy tried to thrash, but his knee jammed painfully into her back. She screamed.

… _Oh god, oh god, oh god_ …

"… You know what a bitch you are?" Cheekbones growled into her ear. She couldn't even twist around to get a touch on any of his skin. She was pinned down. "Do you have _any_ idea how many people you left to die?"

His voice was quiet, but raw, and angry. Amy could only gasp. "Oh, I know your powers," he snarled. "I know you could have helped us. You could have saved people. Instead, you were just so busy with all your bitchy problems, that you didn't even _think_ about people like us, bitch."

His knee dug in deeper. Amy screamed, but then he slammed her head straight into ground. Hard. Her vision blacked out for a second. She tasted blood.

"… You could heal _anyone_ , and you only ever healed all those rich folks in their fancy hospitals." Amy could barely make out the words through the pain. "How much did they pay you for that, anyways? Anything for good fucking PR, right? All the refugees, you left them to suffer. To die."

Amy processed the words, but she couldn't even protest through the pain and blood. His voice was almost feral. "Me? I think _you_ deserve a little _suffering_ as well."

There was a pause. He slowly lifted his wait from Amy's back, before pulling her upwards from the air. She was struggling to just stay conscious, but she barely made out the words as he whispered them softly in her ear.

"… _You get what you give, bitch_."

He yanked her hair backwards, dragging her to knees. Cheekbones was laughing again. He went from viciously angry to mocking laughter in seconds.

"Come on then, new girl," he cheered. "She's all yours."

Amy blinked weakly, and suddenly there was someone else standing in front of her. A fourth figure, a girl. Fairly tall, lean. She was the only one wearing a mask – a cheap black stocking covering her head almost like a burglar. Amy had no idea where she came from, but it was like she appeared out of nowhere.

She was clutching a metal pipe tightly. Her hands were shivering.

She was hesitating.

Amy gulped. "… Please…" She gasped weakly, still struggling to breathe. "…Help…"

The girl's head flickered. Cheekbones glared at his team member. "Do it!" He ordered, twisting Amy's hair a bit harder. "Come on, don't puss out on us now! She deserves it!"

The other two members were positioned around her, watching intently. The girl raised her pipe like a batter preparing for a swing, but didn't move.

Tears were streaming out of Amy's eyes. "… No…"

The moment was excruciating.

"Do it!" Cheekbones roared. "This bitch killed your father, she _deserves_ this! Make her _feel_ it!"

The masked girl stepped forward. Amy gulped. The girl was hesitating, hands shaking.

" _She killed your father_!" Cheekbones screamed again, his voice low. "They're never going to learn unless we teach them. This is right, this is _vengeance_. Come on, new girl, _do it_!"

The metal pipe swung downwards.

Amy felt her own skull crack.

It was a weird sensation.

Amy knew that she was in agonising pain. She half expected the pipe colliding with her skull to just knock her out unconscious straight away, like what happened in the movies. That didn't happen. Her vision blacked out briefly but she kept consciousness.

In fact, she could barely feel the pain. It felt numb, almost distant. Amy's jaw cracked and she felt her teeth shatter in her mouth, but it was like the pain just overflowed until she could barely feel it.

It was like there was only so much suffering a person could handle until their brain just blocked it out.

She had healed injuries like this before. She had never, ever imagined what it would be like to experience them.

The first blow sent Amy flailing to the ground. The second blow hit her shoulder, but she only twitched. By the third and fourth blows, she wasn't even twitching. She was just lying curled up on the hard pavement as the pipe kept on coming down.

It a weirdly detached way, Amy counted her own bones cracking.

Cheekbones grabbed her by the hair, dragging her upwards so the girl could line up a better shot. The others were still laughing and chanting as the pipe hit her again and again.

Amy only caught one phrase, repeated over and over in her head.

 _She deserves it_.

…

 _Fuck them all._

Amy's hands clenched. Her power flared into life. She couldn't touch her attacker's skin, but she never needed to. There was no way to disable them peacefully without physical contact, but suddenly Amy let loose with everything could do.

She could feel all of the microbes in the air, touching against her skin, and suddenly her power took over. They were weak organisms, almost dead, but Amy forced them to respond. It wasn't much to work with, but it was enough. There weren't many, they were relatively sparse in the air, but it was enough to give her something to shape. Amy's head flashed with images of every disease that she had ever encountered.

The most virulent diseases possible, and suddenly Amy merged them all together and willed them all into existence.

 _Flesh-eating bacteria_.

She was so passed caring that there wasn't even a moment of restraint. A shrill scream broke her lips as suddenly her powers let loose like they had never, ever done before.

…The image of all four figures suddenly dissolving in a pool of screaming and gore flashed before her eyes…

There was a long moment of quiet. When Amy opened her eyes again, there was a mocking face staring back at her.

"Did you just try and kill us, bitch?" Cheekbones taunted, the evil smile splitting his face. "That's not very nice."

 _What the –_

Suddenly, his hand grabbed her by the throat and dragged her upwards. Amy couldn't even scream as she felt her neck being throttled.

 _I can't change him_ , she realised with pure panic like nothing she had ever felt before. _He's touching my skin and I can feel his body, but I can't change it_. It was like his cells just weren't responding to her.

The realisation sent dread down her spine.

"…You're blocking my powers…" she gasped. They had a Trump with them.

His grin was absolutely vicious. The girl with the metal pipe looked stunned as he gripped Amy viciously. Her eyes were wide with dread.

" _Whoops_ ," he muttered mockingly. Instantly, his confidence made sense.

Amy couldn't breathe as he dragged her off the ground. She could barely think. Her body wasn't working. Her legs were numb. The image of Vicky flashed before her eyes.

"Do you want me to…?" Someone asked quietly.

"Nah," Cheekbones replied. "I'll handle this."

Without another word, the world blurred and Amy was sent rocketing upwards straight into the sky. She gasped as the whole ground disappeared.

 _He jumped_ , she realised suddenly. Cheekbones must have jumped, pushing off the ground, and then used his power to turn them weightless. The acceleration sent them shooting up into the air at speeds that could have put a fighter jet to shame.

They were flying.

Flying upwards at immense speeds.

Amy blinked, and then suddenly she was looking down over the flashing lights of Brockton Bay as they soared into the clouds. Her head spun.

… _Oh god oh god oh god oh god_ _oh god_ _oh god_ _oh god_ …

And the fear clicked as she realised that there was only one way down.

He was still holding her by the throat. Cheekbones looked totally unconcerned, his smile still bright in the dark. Amy's heart pounded harder than she ever thought was possible.

Without any rational thought, she kicked, thrashed and lashed out at him furiously, with everything she could still muster, but it was like her blows just bounced off.

 _I don't have any mass_ , she realised. _I can't hurt him_.

"Do you know what you're problem is?!" Cheekbones jeered, shouting over the sound of the rushing air. The clouds were getting closer. "You're just too self-obsessed to think about other people. That's _hurtful_ , you know."

Amy screamed something. She didn't quite know what. Her brain wasn't working, it was like all her senses had been left back behind on earth. When his power wore off…

"I said that's _hurtful_!" He snarled furiously. " _I want an apology._ "

His twisted, grinning face was the only thing she could focus on. They were _miles_ up in the air. The adrenaline was kicking through her harder than it ever had. There was no rational thought, just pure, primal terror.

"I'm sorry!" Amy heard herself scream. "I'm sorry I'm sorry!"

He grinned brightly. Amy could see teeth.

"Apology accepted," he said cheerfully, before letting go off her neck.

Suddenly, physics hit her like a train. The inertia nearly snapped her spine.

Gravity.

Falling.

Fast.

Amy screamed louder than she had ever screamed before, but she still couldn't even hear herself over the rushing sound of the air. The air was ripped out of her lungs as she fell.

It was a long, long way down, and Amy just kept on falling.

Everything she had was just stripped away. Even fear itself just wasn't enough.

Through frantic eyes, she had time to make out the shape of the harbour, the lights of the downtown, even the mountains in the distance. The ocean looked so huge and black, while the city of lights zoomed closer and closer and closer.

She could see the moon and the stars looking brighter than ever, getting further and further away.

The ground rushed up to meet her. She was close enough to recognise the streets as if staring down from a map. The sight was unreal, like she was looking through someone else's eyes.

 _I'm… I'm… I'm going to land in the Trainyard… I'm…_ Amy thought suddenly, feeling eerily detached as she slipped away. She could feel her body shutting down from lack of oxygen. The ground shot into view. Closer and closer and closer and closer…

… _Holy… I'm… Why… Vicky… Oh god… I'm sor… Oh Vicky… I didn't mea… Oh no… Oh fuck I'm going to hit the ground I'm going to crash it's going oh this is the –_

 ** _Destinati_** –

…


	14. Evolution 01

**Evolution 3.01**

The bar was wrecked. At some point three days ago, the whole street got hit by a riot. Whoever used to own this place was gone. Everything had been vandalised, stolen, and then someone threw a Molotov cocktail through the window. Fortunately, the rundown hovel proved fairly flame retardant, but it was still pretty ruined.

Still, we had to be here. Somer's Rock was a legacy more than a location.

"Let's get to work then," I muttered, as I focused my insects into teams. I should have done this hours ago, if not days. Now, I had less than an hour to get this place ready before the meeting. Still, things had just been so hectic there had never been a moment to spare.

It was still barely noon. I hadn't slept all night, my internal clock was way out of synch, but there was no choice except to push forward. For days, everything after dusk became hectic. We had been out constantly, firefighting against the swarms of looters and rioters tearing through the city. The riots had been relentless, persistent.

Now, it was noon, the sun was bright, but the whole city was so quiet it was eerie, like everyone was locked inside just waiting to see how badly thing would get when the sun went down.

This was our last chance at trying to curb some of that chaos.

Around the bar, the bugs responded to my call. They streamed out of the sewers and around the building, dropping into formation like the most well-organised army on earth. _Ok then_ , I thought firmly. _I've got to clear out the rubbish, fix up the floor, and get the whole swarm ready just in case_ …

Spiders weaved nets while ants used them to drag debris away. Termites gnarled through wood at an unnatural pace. In seconds, the whole bar was being reconstructed by a veritable army of tiny, relentless workman. All of the trash seemed to just float and shift away.

"Are you going to be alright?" Lisa asked through the buzz of the headset.

I made a noncommittal noise. There was no around, but I knew that wouldn't last long. This had to happen, but it still terrified me. "Did you send out the invitations?" I asked instead.

"Yep. Grue and the others are getting ready now. We'll be ready for them."

I nodded. I needed something to take my mind off it. I was already positioning my giant spiders and bugs into the floorboards and the attic, out of sight, but ready if needed. _It would have been easier if this really was just a straight up fight_ , I mused.

"Give me something to take my mind off it," I said with a sigh. "How's the recruitment going?"

I could hear her smirk. "Pretty good. I definitely think Shadow Stalker is looking promising." Brian had been moping about that one constantly. I had no idea how Lisa had the time to scout out potential recruits online with everything else that was going on, but I wasn't going to complain. We needed the extra manpower right now more than ever.

"What about Rune?" I asked curiously.

"I'm pretty sure she's just dragging us along to try and scam a joining bonus out of us," Lisa said with a sigh. "But I might be wrong. We'll give her a shot. In any case, we've got three potential recruits to interview this week, so be prepared for that."

I paused. "Three?" I knew Lisa had been talking to Shadow Stalker and Rune, but there was another? "Who's the third?"

There was a long moment of hesitation. "… Um… you know I don't know." Her voice sounded confused. "How strange, I wrote down three there for some reason…"

I frowned, but then shrugged it away. The swarm was making quick work of the debris, clearing a space in the middle of the floor. "…What about Panacea?" I asked after a long hesitation. "Did you–"

"Yes, I've got the transfer ready." Her voice was resigned. "But I still think it's a mistake."

"You're the one that said Panacea was a possible recruit too."

"Yes… but…" She sighed. "…but giving her sister a million dollars really isn't going to help like you think it will."

"It's a peace offering," I argued. "If I can just get on to talking terms, then maybe we've got a shot. I just want to talk to her."

Lisa paused but didn't object. There was a long pause. "You know she killed her mother, right?"

"I know," I said quietly. The story was spreading quickly and still gaining traction. I still wasn't sure about whole truth, though, but the accusations were spiralling. "I'll make the phone call tonight."

Another hesitation. "… Taylor…" Lisa muttered finally. "… Do you ever think that maybe… well… it's fine to sympathise with someone, but are you sure you're being objective here?"

I bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You _do_ get a bit narrow-focused about some things," Lisa admitted. "… I mean, like with Runaway –"

"What's wrong with Runaway?" I demanded.

"Nothing, I think he's a good recruit," Lisa said quickly, before continuing with a hint of hesitation. "… But face it, as soon as you found out he had been bullied, you stopped being rational, didn't you?"

I frowned. I was just about to object before I felt footsteps outside. "Save the psychoanalysis for later," I said curtly. "We've got company."

Bitch walked through the door, with two of her biggest, meanest dogs – a Rottweiler and a Doberman – by her side. She gave a short nod, and I readied myself. Bitch was followed closely by Runaway, hands in his pockets and hood half over his face. He had refused all of our offers of a proper costume in favour of that old grey hoodie.

I took a deep breath, ordered my insects to wait, before focusing on my swarm. At once, my perspective changed and the whole world seemed to expand. It was getting easier and easier to switch my bug sense.

Suddenly, I could see the whole city mapped out in my head.

 _One point five miles_. That was my range when I was full swarm mode. Not long ago, I would have loved that type of range boost, but then I realised how limited it was. I boosted my range, but I drastically cut my control. The most I could use it for was scouting out a larger area very quickly – but I had no useful swarm when I was like this.

It was enough to make me curse. _I either had short range and brilliant control or long range and useless control_ , I thought bitterly. _How typical that I never had any sort of middle ground_ …

Still, the area shot into focus. I pushed myself to try and identify all of the men around the street. Most of them were trying to stay out of sight, hesitating by alleyways. It was so hard to properly identify them, but I could feel their locations at least. They were all milling around, waiting.

"How's it looking?" Lisa whispered in my ear, through the buzz of the headset.

"Quiet," I replied under my breath. With my mask on, no one could tell I was talking into my headset, but I still kept my voice low. "They're outside, but they're not coming in."

"They're being cautious," Lisa replied. "Fine, just wait. Remember, _you're_ in charge here."

 _I wish I felt it_.

I remembered the last time I was here, in this bar, what felt like a lifetime ago. Back then, Kaiser and Coil had headed the meeting, while the Undersiders had been just a small time gang of thieves. I still remembered how Kaiser had oozed complete confidence throughout. _Everyone except us who had been at that meeting was out of town now_ , I thought suddenly.

Now, though, it was only the Undersiders left alone in Somer's Rock, and there was a new villain gathering coming up, and suddenly _I_ was expected to chair it.

All the new villains that had rushed to fill the gap were raising hell in the city. Most of them were from Boston – many had even triggered during the Leviathan attack. They weren't as well established as the old breed, but that just made them more dangerous. The new generation of Brockton Bay's supervillains had nothing to lose and very little restraint.

The city needed some of the old order back – we needed to bring the organisation back into the crime.

And so, between Coil and Lisa, the invitations were sent out. All of the new players received express bug delivery very quickly.

At first, I had naturally expected that Coil would be here, only to learn that the supervillain had to gone to ground. His operation was still running, but quieter, and he had no wish of making his continued existence known in the new supervillain community – many of whom would take that existence as a challenge. Instead, he chose to sit this one out.

I could almost understand it. Suddenly, a criminal like Coil felt like a dinosaur. He wouldn't have been able to negotiate here like he had with Kaiser or Faultline. Now, it was just us and all of the new kids on the block.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I had no idea how I had somehow ended up in charge, but I didn't like it.

Brian's arm was still broken, it would have sent totally the wrong message if he had headed this meeting with his arm in a sling. We had to appear untouchable. Instead, I had to come and lead the Undersiders in his place. Even if they all looked at me like a 'leader', I knew in my bones that I couldn't give off that same assured seniority that Brain seemed to exude.

And to make matters worse, I didn't even have a full team with me. Lisa was still nearly-crippled after overusing her powers, and she was left acting as tactician and consultant over radio. There was a camera attached discreetly to my mask while she was back in base. Likewise, Grue was costumed up but in reserve in case things went badly, and Regent was there to support him.

That just left me with Bitch and Runaway – by far the two most volatile of members of our team.

Against a mob of raging hooligans with powers.

"I can feel them outside," I muttered. The gang members were hovering cautiously around the bar. "That's the plan, just wait?"

"It's not something you can force." Lisa's voice was in my ear. "Let them come."

Somer's Rock was deserted. Runaway quickly set up chairs in the middle of the bar, but around us everything else was trashed. It had never been a particularly good bar even on its best day, but the whole street had suffered badly in the recent riots. The whole bar had been vandalised into nothing and deserted. Still, it was neutral ground and the new kids had to learn to respect that.

"Can we get a move on?" I admitted, feeling stupid just waiting in the trashed bar. I had an army of insects hidden around me – Runaway by one side, and Bitch by the other with two of her dogs, but I still felt weirdly exposed. "I'm sick of waiting for them to… hold on…"

My bugs suddenly picked up on the sound of blaring music blasting down the street. Honestly, I couldn't even tell if it was 'music' – it sounded more like a man screaming incoherently from a set of loud speakers.

The sound was suddenly blasting everywhere outside. Through my bug vision, I saw a pickup truck racing down the route, speakers turned up high. All of the other gangs that were keeping watch were left stunned.

"Well…" Lisa muttered in my ear. Bitch's dogs started to growl as they heard the music blaring towards us. My bugs picked up on four figures inside as they raced down the street. "…Should have known _they'd_ be the ones to make a scene."

"Won't the sound attract attention?" I said with a wince.

I almost heard Lisa shaking her head. "No, no one's around. Even Alexandria had to leave for some big emergency meeting in Washington." That was the downside to the Protectorate leader being world-famous – Alexandria also had a lot of other duties that she was forced to attend. She regularly had to leave the city. From a villain's point of view, it _almost_ balanced out the fact that Alexandria was also an unstoppable juggernaut of justice that never slept.

The truck slid to a halt straight outside the front door. "…Besides, even if she _were_ here, I don't think she'd crash this party," Lisa continued quietly. "Alexandria wants order more than anyone, she'd let this meeting happen."

Suddenly, the front door slammed open, just as a short, greasy teenager with dyed black hair and a filthy leather jacket burst in, massive grin on his face.

" _Whatsup, bitches?!_ " The cape slurred, hands fiddling on an air guitar as he staggered in. He was followed by three other figures that instantly filled the bar in manic, raucous laughter.

The Deadites. The punks. It was an act, I knew. They acted loud, brash and confident – but that was their whole gig. It caught people off-guard. They were just some kids trying to made names for themselves, and acting over the top was a way to do that.

I forced my body to stay stiff. Next to me, Runaway twitched while Bitch was almost snarling. I could smell the cologne as soon as they burst through the door.

"Sit down and take a seat," I muttered coldly. Right now, I had an act I had to play as well. I was Skitter the villainous warlord, and I had to own that role. The guy at the front of the Deadites gave me a sultry wink as he collapsed into a chair, the rest of his group still talking loudly.

"Their lead man calls himself Hades," Lisa explained to me quietly, as I stared at the teenager with long black hair, pale face and wild eyes. His whole outfit was leather punk. _No mask_ , I noted quietly. "His powers cause advanced muscle degeneration in anyone within sixteen feet. You'll know when he activates it, but be careful, if you're in his field for too long it can become permanent."

Behind Hades was another kid – much broader, almost chubby. He wore the black leather, but without the same confidence of Hades. I could swear he was almost twitching, like a nervous kid in with a gang he didn't belong. He had a mask of some sort of distorted dog. "That's Black Dog – Brute, new member, he's got reinforced bones, but he can also produce a noise that triggers intense fear in anyone that hears it."

Next to Black Dog, there was a teenager, one almost inhumanly skinny, with dozens of metal piercings through his face, yet his most distinguishable feature were his fingers – they sprouted from his hands into spiny appendages nearly four feet long, each with nails like claws. His fingers were larger than his arms, so large the claws dragged across the ground. "…And _that's_ Anubis – he's a regenerator, a slow one though, yet his gig is that he never needs to _stop_ regenerating. He can grow his fingers as long as arms, or teeth and jaw that extents."

"Then why hasn't he grown until he's twelve feet tall or whatever?" I muttered very quietly, eyes discreetly on Anubis. The kid had a very annoying laugh.

"He has to _cut_ off whatever he wants to regrow." She muttered. I could almost hear her sultry wink. _Ah_ , I thought quietly. Lisa still couldn't use her powers very well, but fortunately she had prepared a lot of information beforehand. "And behind him – that's Vanth. She's a healer, but a weird one. Not quite sure about her yet."

The only girl in the group had short, unkempt black hair, a face plastered full of makeup, and she wore a purple dress that might have once been a thousand dollar evening gown, but it had been shredded to pieces. Her black mask barely covered her cheekbones. She wasn't particular pretty – more bony and lean that reminded vaguely of some kind of bird. Vanth stared at me with a shadow of a grin.

I paused. The insects in the air suddenly felt something very soft drift by them. I focused, just as my bugs caught a figure suddenly drop onto the roof out of the air. "There's someone on the roof," I muttered.

"Looks like the party is getting started…" Lisa said dryly, as the figure was joined by two others dropping gently out of the sky, before jumping down onto the street below. They hit the ground with barely a thud and strolled into the door.

"Welcome, Lost Boys," I greeted quietly, not moving in my seat. There were three capes, two men and a girl. The guy at the front was tall, skinny, and would have maybe been handsome if it wasn't for the sneer in his eyes.

"Skitter." His voice sounded taunting. I knew his name at least – _Pan_. The leader of the so-called revolutionaries. _Anarchists_.

"Have a seat." I offered stiffly, eyes focused on Pan. He wore a green jacket with a high collar, and a dark green scarf covering his lower face. He had narrow eyes, black hair, sharp cheekbones. _He's a flyer_ , I recalled suddenly. The whole Peter Pan theme was obvious, but he managed to make it almost sinister.

"I think not," Pan scoffed, glancing at his companions. The girl looked younger – maybe fifteen – but she wore tight denim trousers, with long curtailed brown hair and a flimsy orange mask. The other man wore a full-costume, grey, almost bodysuit, with a jacket over the top. "I'm not planning on staying long."

"The girl calls herself Wendy Wind – duh – and the guy is Shadow. She creates gusts of wind, he's some sort of Trump," Lisa explained quietly. "Pan might act like the leader, but don't be fooled – it's _Shadow_ that has the real power."

I slowly adjusted my gaze to Shadow. I knew for a fact that there were at least a dozen other capes out there called 'Shadow', but he didn't seem to care. Compared to Pan's obnoxious attitude, Shadow looked restrained, almost patient. His full face mask made it very hard to get a read on him, in any case.

"This is neutral ground," I said calmly. "We're here to talk about the city, and then everyone leaves. Those are the rules."

"Your rules, not mine," Pan grunted. "Me? I like _breaking_ rules."

Still, Shadow gave a barely perceptible nod, and Pan moved to one side. Pan absentmindedly kicked a chair in the middle of the floor, and then suddenly the chair shot off the ground, crashed into the ceiling, bounced off, and then started spinning in mid-air as if it were in zero gravity. Nothing even seemed scratched from where it had hit. It hovered around the ceiling for a bit, floating softly, before suddenly it came crashing back down onto the floor with a wallop.

"He's not _really_ a flyer," Lisa explained in my ear. Pan smirked as I flinched from the noise. "His power is a bit more complicated than that. Instead, he can make things, himself included, effectively weightless. Anything without weight accelerates very easily, but there's no force behind it either. If he jumps when weightless, then he keeps on going and he can stay in the air indefinitely, but I wouldn't call it flying."

"What's the difference?" I muttered under my breath as I turned away from Pan.

"He can't change direction when he's in the air." _Ah, I could see how that would be irritating_ , I mused. The power to fly when you couldn't steer. "Also, I'm pretty sure the Lost Boys have one other member – she's a teleporter, I think. They must be keeping her in reserve."

 _Ok, two teams down_ , I thought, my shoulders tense. I could feel the other gangs start to move towards us now. The Lost Boys were glaring at the Deadites viciously, before Vanth stretched over towards Hades and muttered what was probably a rude joke while looking at Pan. It almost erupted in a fight right then.

I recalled briefly that the villains had been fighting each other almost as much as they had been fighting everyone else.

It was the type of situation that could get very violent, very quickly.

I glanced briefly at Runaway, standing quietly beside me. He should have been more nervous than anyone else, but I could already tell he was on at least fifteen percent. His body language was different, more animalistic. _Just another of the many things that could wrong here_ , I thought with a shudder.

Still, there was no time. The others were coming in fast now.

The Chosen's Scythe walked through the door, led by Stormtiger and Cricket flanked by two other thugs. So far as I knew, there weren't any more capes from the Empire Eighty-Eight left over. Stormtiger shot me an evil glance, but he stayed quiet. We all knew that his gang wasn't the top dog anymore.

After that, it was Squealer, along with two large men decked out in what looked like power suits salvaged from truck parts, and then flanked by a huge man of twisted metal and steam that could barely fit through the door. Trainwreck. Together, with Squealer, the pair formed Squeak's Crew, probably one of the strongest leftovers from the Merchants.

When Mush came through the door, the leader of the Smugglers, another Merchant's offshoot, it was almost a straight up battle right then. I forced myself to stay calm as I watched the chaos and screaming start to unfold. By the time Whirlygig came, leading the Pinchers, things nearly lost control right then.

 _I couldn't play my hand too soon_ , I told myself. I had to keep order, but I also had to be the one in charge. If I gave an order and no one followed it, that would weaken my position drastically.

Lisa had spread the net wide. The Deadites and the Lost Boys were probably the most notable of the new gangs, but there were still more independent capes filing through the door. There were at least a dozen villains, clad in makeshift masks, without teams, who I couldn't even name. Some of them probably didn't have cape names yet.

Within minutes, the whole bar was crowded and heaving. The villains eyed each other like they were waiting for an opportunity to turn this is to a brawl. They probably were.

I had to run through the count in my head. There was the Deadites, the Lost Boys, Squeak's Crew, the Smugglers, the Pinchers. There was no telling who would come and who wouldn't. Some of the weirder gangs in the city were the Cockroaches, but, hell, not even Lisa could figure out just _what_ they were, let alone give them an invitation. Then there were the Mutants, but as far as they can tell they were just plain creepy weird. Neither of those would probably be showing up. The only big name that I was still looking out for…

The whole bar went quiet as a sole figure walked through the door. I could feel the air stiffen.

The Drowned Men.

His presence was enough to make absolutely everyone go quiet. Diluvium was the only one who came alone.

He had been receiving more media coverage than anyone else. Out of all the new villains, there was absolutely no doubt who was the most powerful one. Most of the villains here were low C or D rank – maybe the Lost Boys or the Deadites had some at B rank.

And yet Diluvium was solid A rank. He only had triggered about a month ago, he was still fresh, but everyone knew that Diluvium was powerful enough to rank against heroes like Chevalier, Narwhal, or, hell, even against any of the Triumvirate themselves.

Strangely, he was shorter than I imagined, but fairly broad and stocky. He was probably one of the oldest in the room, maybe mid-twenties. Diluvium was shirtless, with a fairly muscled chest but he wore a full-face iron mask that looked vaguely like a cross between a visor and a diving helmet.

He was quiet, composed, as he slowly walked through the bar and took a seat in the corner. Not even any of the Deadites dared to antagonise him. The leader of Drowned Men had made his temper well known in the past few days. He was fresh after his battle with Alexandria, and after flooding half of Lord Street, but he was still walking without a care.

 _He's come alone_ , I realised suddenly. I wasn't so sure of the names, but I knew that the Drowned Men had at least a few other capes besides Diluvium himself. None others were present. _They aren't with him because Diluvium is pure Shaker_ , I thought with a tinge of dread. _If he goes berserk and tries to kill us, he doesn't want to kill his own men too._

His presence made the bar quiet, at least.

"Damn it, I was half hoping he wouldn't show up," Lisa muttered in my ear. "You realise that if, say, The Fallen show up now, and if Valefor _dares_ to mention anything about praising Leviathan, then Diluvium is going to kill him without a second thought."

"Yep," I whispered under my breath with a gulp. Diluvium had triggered right in the middle of the Leviathan attack, after all. And then there were the Fallen, the new group to Brockton Bay that worshipped Leviathan. The two villain gangs had already clashed frequently, but if Diluvium went berserk here then all hell would break loose. "What do we do?"

"Pray that The Fallen are smart enough not to turn up," Lisa said dryly. _They were a group that worshipped Endbringers, how smart could they be?_ I nearly retorted, but I bit my tongue. "In any case, treat Diluvium with kid's gloves. The man is insane and everyone knows it. Keep an eye on him, and keep a clear path to the exit if anything happens."

 _Helpful_ , I thought quietly, but I kept my posture stiff. I knew his powers; Diluvium had the ability to store things. His skin was essentially a portal to another dimension where he could store any inorganic materials or substances. He could contain and release whatever he wanted at will.

That didn't sound so bad, but then Diluvium had gone for a swim in the ocean and ended up absorbing about a couple of million tons of seawater.

Water that he could release at any time. It was a completely obscene amount of water.

The man was a walking flash flood just waiting to happen.

Being trapped in an enclosed space with him was absolutely the worst possible idea.

 _Oh god, this really isn't a good plan_ , I thought with a gulp. Still, _I_ had to be the one to keep control.

Bitch's dogs started growling as he passed, but he didn't flinch. Diluvium never said a word. His posture was relaxed, almost non-caring. For all I had heard about his violence, I wouldn't quite call him patient. Dormant, perhaps.

The air was quieter now. A lot of people were nervous. Bitch's arms were folded, a scowl almost carved into her face as she glared around the villains defiantly. By contrast, Runaway shrunk into himself, his shoulders slumping so far as if he was trying to hide behind himself.

"Can we get this over with already?" Pan demanded, casting a dirty look at Diluvium as he spoke to me. _Good, they were at least treating me like I was the chairman_.

"Not yet," I replied calmly. It was the first thing I said out loud to the whole bar. My voice sounded a hell of lot more composed than I felt. "We're still waiting on a few others."

Pan grunted, folding his arms. "Some of us have shit to do, you know," he growled. "Get a fucking move on."

There were a few quiet murmurs of agreement. Dark eyes were glaring at me behind masks. The problem with trying to be the one in charge was that you also made yourself the biggest target.

I paused. It wouldn't be good to answer too soon. I felt the flicker of footprints from outside. "The last group is nearly here," I replied calmly.

Pan was just about to snap back at me when the door slammed opened. "… That would be _us_ ," the man smirked, strolling through the room as if he owned the place. I glared at the men dressed in a hodgepodge of armour lined with sharp edges and barbs, scattered in almost tribal fashion.

I glared. I _had_ specified a maximum of four men to each group. I should have known that the Teeth would be the only ones confident enough to break that rule.

There were seven of them, all of them in costumes. It was hard tell, but there were only three capes among them though. Hemorrhagia, Spree, and Animos. Hemorrhagia was a tall woman, her body covered head to toe in blood red armour, lined with barbed blades. Spree was shorter, stockier, wearing what looked like a grey hockey player's uniform except for the hooks and skull imagery scattered across his body. Animos was different, his clothes dark grey and plain in comparison, except for the beast-like mask that covered his face.

The other four probably weren't capes, but they were big, armoured and tough. All seven members of the Teeth had automatic guns on their belts or in their hands – black, sleek guns with a metallic sheen – clearly not normal machine guns but I couldn't even say what they were. They certainly didn't look like the type of guns that fired bullets.

"Those weapons are Tinker-tech," Lisa muttered in my ear, as she caught me staring at the guns. "… Fuck, how did The Teeth get a hold of _those_? It's… damn it…"

She winced in pain. I could imagine her grasping at her head. When she was in recovery, Lisa's power was only at a fraction of its usefulness, and it still hurt her constantly.

"You're late," I said, my hands clenching. I wasn't happy about the extra muscle they brought, but I couldn't risk derailing everything by calling them out on it.

Spree just smirked. "It's not like this thing could start without us, hon," he jeered, already turning away from me. My eyes narrowed. _So that's how he wanted to play it_. With the Butcher still missing and the majority of the group in New York, Spree had taken control of the Brockton Bay faction of the Teeth. He turned and smirked at the rest of the bar. "What's the matter with you guys, anyways? Are you seriously letting the _little girl_ sit in the middle like _she's_ the boss?"

 _Don't let them provoke you_ , I muttered to myself. The Teeth were the only group with the coordination and the resources to match ours. Clearly, they wanted to be in charge here.

I didn't rise to it. "I take it the Adepts aren't coming?" I said calmly. I couldn't sense of anyone else outside, but the Adepts had been trying to take Brockton Bay too.

Spree smirked, glancing at Hemorrhagia. "Those pussies? We had a little _chat_ with Epoch the other day," he said tauntingly. "We agreed that Brockton Bay just wasn't the right place for his group."

With a glance, Hemorrhagia reached into her pocket and slowly brought out a glass jar, slamming it onto the counter in front of me. I couldn't help myself from flinching as I saw what was inside.

There were half a dozen severed _fingers_ in the jar, bloodied and already pale.

The fingers of a self-professed magic user.

It was all I could do not to throw up in my mask.

Hemorrhagia was close enough to catch my reaction, even despite my full face mask. She grinned brightly. "What's the matter?" She muttered. "… I thought that was how you did things in Brockton Bay?"

My hands felt cold. My shoulders were so stiff they were almost trembling. The mental image of Spree's smirk flashed before my hand, still smirking even as Hemorrhagia cut off Epoch's fingers one by one…

There was a long moment of quiet. Then, slowly, Pan started to laugh. Loudly, tauntingly.

… _We all have our roles to play_ , I thought softly. _It was all an act_. The Deadites were going for the punks pretending to be party-people, and the Lost Boys were the anarchists playing the revolutionaries. Diluvium was pretending that he wasn't playing along.

I was trying to pretend that I was in control. The Teeth were trying to prove that I wasn't.

 _Alright then_ , I thought as I took a deep breath. _Let's play the villain_.

"Why don't you have a seat?" I said politely, as I casually pushed the jar of fingers to one side. "I think we're ready to begin."

I could only wonder which one of us would end up killing who first.


	15. Evolution 02

**Evolution 3.02**

"Welcome to Somer's Rock," I said after a pause. "Firstly, the ground rules. It's customary for there to be violent retaliation if someone causes trouble at a meeting like this. Usually involving every other party that's present."

"Again, you're talking as if you own the place," Spree challenged. "It's _insulting_ for a child to be talking like she's in charge."

"The Undersiders _do_ have the best claim to the city," I replied coolly, levelling my eyes at Spree. I casually threw the jar of fingers towards him like they were some unimportant trinket. "Whereas you are just a scavenger trying to get a piece of an easy target. What, is New York too rough for you?"

"We are an organisation that's been famous across the East Coast for decades," Spree hissed. "You are a child that's been in charge for what? A month and a half?"

"And you've never been in charge in your life," I noted. "Tell me, have you enjoyed trotting around like you own the place while Butcher is MIA?"

His posture cracked. "You dare…?"

"If you wanted me to take you seriously, then you should have come with Butcher," I said. "Otherwise, I don't like taking insults from a glorified lackey."

His hands clenched. A few of the other Teeth were fondling their guns, twitching. "You want to talk to Butcher?" Animos said with a cruel sneer. "Funny, he's been _dying_ to talk to you too."

"Now, now girls, you're both pretty," That was Hades, rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "Can we just get on with this, please?"

"Agreed," I muttered, my gaze still focused on Spree. His posture was still objectionable, but he didn't retort. "Whatever feuds anyone has stays outside. This is a place to talk."

"What's there to talk about?" Pan scoffed, arms folded. "You want us to talk it out like a bunch of little children and apologise?"

 _You_ are _a little child_. "It's best for everyone if there are meetings like these. Doesn't stop the crime, just keeps things a bit more… organised. Keeps everything _civil_."

"Doesn't seem like there's much civility left in Brockton Bay," Spree noted, taking the seat straight opposite me, focusing on me. Challenging me with every movement. "Actually, any civility we had disappeared around about the time you blew up the Empire." He paused, a wicked grin on his face. "Matter of fact, all of the problems happening with this city seem to lead straight back to _you_."

 _Fuck, he really is going to try and turn the whole room against me_. Bitch was by my side, glaring at Spree like she was trying to restrain herself from snapping. I couldn't let him hijack the conversation. If I had to defend myself, my position would be weakened.

"And yet, now I'm the one trying to put everything together again," I said smoothly. "The riots have to stop. It's bad for business."

Pan was sneering at me, sharing a smirk with Wendy Wind. "And whose business is that?"

"It doesn't look like most of us here are the business-y types," Hades agreed, but he was fairly subdued compared to the others.

"It's everyone's business," I replied, turning to face Pan. "If the riots keep on happening, how long do you think it's going to be before the PRT declares Brockton Bay a class A situation? If we don't set the rules, we break the game and _everyone_ loses. How long do you think any of us are going to last when the likes of Eidolon or Legend start flying down here to put the fires out?"

There was a sobering pause. Only Pan remained objectionable. "We've been doing alright against Alexandria," he snorted.

"Really, or have you just been running away when she's distracted?" I challenged. "Who here has actually faced her head on?"

Nobody moved. Pan's face twisted, but he didn't object. I turned around the room, meeting their eyes one by one.

In the corner, Diluvium slowly raised his hand without a word. I couldn't even see his face, but something about his body language was almost amused. He still hadn't said a word, but the silence spoke volumes.

"I hardly agree with the person saying it," Spree said finally, staring at me. "But the sentiment is valid. The riots need to stop."

"The chaos has gone on long enough," Hemorrhagia agreed.

"Fuck you and your _establishment_ ," Pan spat, glaring at the Teeth. "The chaos is the only way things _change_."

Spree turned to look at him. "Settle down, _boy_ ," he muttered in warning.

I half-expected steam to rise out of Pan's ears, but he backed down. _For all his bluster_ , I decided, _Pan wasn't much at all_. The ability to make things float a bit didn't really compare to a guy who could make rapid fire clones with automatic weapons.

"Aw, you mean the party has to end?" The new voice cut through the crowd. I turned to stare at Vanth, pouting teasingly, as she spoke up for the first time. "Shame – it's been fun. Still, it seems to me there's a difference of opinion here. I can understand you two wanting the riots gone." She wagged her finger between me and Spree. "But you're _proper_ gangs with business, manifestos and yadda yadda. Now why should guys like us – guys that are only in it for the shits and giggles – give a damn about what _your_ business wants?"

"… Or worse…" That was Stormtiger, he had been staring daggers at me since the meeting began. "Why should we just step back and let you guys take the city all for yourself?"

I locked eyes with him. "What are you suggesting?" I muttered quietly.

"We take out a map and partition it up," Stormtiger demanded. "Get the territories back. Everyone gets a slice."

 _You couldn't hold your territory and you know it_ , I thought. The 'Chosen's Scythe' had become the whipping boy of every gang around – now they had resorted to begging for what they had failed to take.

Spree answered first. "No." He shook his head dismissively. "You really think we're going to give out a chunk to every two-bit gang in the city? What, so everyone gets a couple of blocks?"

 _You're talking as if it's yours to give away_ , I nearly retorted, but I didn't. "Fuck no," Pan sneered. "Me and my crew don't care about territory. We're not some thugs pushing _drugs_. We're trying to _achieve_ something, you corporate tools."

Hades looked at Pan sceptically. "The only thing you 'achieve' is making everyone in a twelve block radius appear smarter," he said with a grunt.

Pan's eyes bulged. "What the hell was that?"

"Enough!" I snapped. The tension was getting to me. "This isn't the place for squabbles."

Pan didn't seem to hear me. "Fuck you," he snapped at Hades, before turning around to Spree. "And fuck you too. In fact, fuck you all!" He spun in a circle, arms waving at the room, before stopping at me. "And fuck _you_ especially!"

His voice was dripping venom. Behind him, Shadow watched stoically as Pan glared at me. "Fuck, you're more _corporate_ than any fucking politician or banker; you just wear a different kind of _suit_ ," Pan's voice was practically a snarl. "You want us to keep order, follow the rules, but they're _your_ rules, _your_ order. You might be on the other side, but you're absolutely nothing more than a fat pig rolling in money, grasping and screaming for people to do what _you_ want."

My hands clenched, but I didn't move. "You should _really_ sit down," I said softly, as Runaway and Bitch shared a glance. My bugs had surrounded him, under the floorboards and in the ceiling. In a second, I could have giant centipedes, spiders and scorpions eating him alive.

"Can't we all just take this guy outside and beat the crap out of him already?" Hades moaned, not quite under his breath.

Pan's hands were trembling. _The man was insane_ , I thought. If he started anything _here_ he'd be ripped to shreds but he was still pushing it. "You're all fucking sheep!" Pan screamed at room. Everyone was deathly silent. "You're seriously just going to let this bitch walk around like she owns the place?" He glared back at me. "The last I heard, she was paying a riot one million dollars to knock off some hero she doesn't like – _that's_ the type of bitch she is. Couldn't even do it yourself, hmm?"

That one caused me to bristle. The image of Amy flashed before my mind. "You don't know what you're talking about," I snapped.

Pan grinned, like a wolf sensing weakness. _Damn, that was the first slip-up whole meeting_ , I cursed. "Really? So _did_ you knock off the little healer, then?"

 _Can't show weakness_. "She's being taken care of," I said coldly, folding my arms. _Keep it cryptic_.

Pan sneered. "Oh, _I bet she is_." His voice was taunting. He took a step towards me threateningly. "You sit there and talk down to us, but you're nothing more than a lit–"

"Hi." Instantly, Runaway was in front of Pan, blocking me. His voice was low as he slowly extended his hand with a soft smile. "… My name's Dylan. Nice to meet you."

Pan stopped suddenly, staring at Runaway's outstretched hand in surprise. Just for a second, I could have sworn that Runaway's eyes shone light blue.

… Pan needed screaming and insults to appear threatening. Somehow, Runaway managed to fit in the same amount of intimidation into a smile and a handshake.

Almost instinctively, Pan stopped talking. He was taller than Runaway, louder, more brash, probably in better shape too, but somehow that gentle smile just cut him off.

I was thankful that my mask hid the smirk. All eyes were on Pan, facing off suddenly against Runaway. "Considering how you have, by far, one of the weakest powers around here…" I said gently. "… I would sit down if I were you."

Pan looked absolutely fuming as he glared at us. Runaway met his gaze. For a second, I thought he was going to snap, before quietly, Shadow put his hand on Pan's shoulder and gently pulled him back.

I breathed a gentle sigh of relief as I looked around the room. Everybody was tense, ready to fight or run at the drop of a pin, but they all held back. _So many different powers going off at once_ … I thought with a gulp, _that could easily get so bad that nobody could be guaranteed to walk out_ …

"This is pointless." The voice shocked us all, but instantly everybody turned to stare a Diluvium, still sitting in the corner. When he spoke, people listened. "There is only _one_ type of order to be had here."

He slowly sat upwards, as if coming to a decision. His voice was deep, thick, and heavily accented, but I honestly couldn't even tell what accent through the metal mask. "There is no agreement here. Nor does it matter," he muttered. "There is only one rule of any importance. Who lives, and who dies."

Spree glared at him. The Teeth were all twitching towards their guns. "Is that a threat?" Spree hissed, eyes narrowing.

"No. No threat." Diluvium shook his head. "Only promise. Your petty squabbles do not interest me. I do not care about anything you have to say."

 _Kid's gloves_ , I remembered Lisa's warning. "And what do you care about?" I asked quietly.

His voice was soft. "The only thing of any importance." He rolled his shoulders slowly. "I care about crushing the heart of Leviathan with my hands. I care about tearing that monster limb from limb and leaving it scattered across the ocean floor. I care about killing the beast. _That_ is the only thing I want."

"Get in line," Anubis, from the Deadites, muttered coldly. He was the only in the room that spoke. "There's a whole of lot people out there that have been trying to kill Leviathan."

Diluvium shook his head. "No. The government does not have the stomach for the type of war I will wage. The PRT placates the beast – they run from it rather than fighting. In their fear, _they hold back_." He spat the words like they curses. "They do not have the will to dedicate themselves wholly to that monster's destruction – I do. I will not run."

His voice was low, but I could feel the emotion soaking through it. "I will fight tooth and nail and I will _destroy_ it. I will rip off its fangs. I will drain the oceans and I will leave this planet _dry_ , just so I can follow Leviathan to the depths and kill him while it is defenceless. _That_ is my purpose. For that I have been blessed with my power – the annihilation of that beast."

 _Oh fuck, this guy is insane_. He was in Boston when Leviathan attacked, right at the forefront. I could only imagine what he saw to end up the way he did, but he spoke the words like it was the chant of religion.

I saw Spree share a glance with Animos as they looked at Diluvium. "Every army has to start somewhere," The Drowned Man droned. "Every crusade begins with a single declaration. You all have a choice. It is the same choice I offered all that follow me. You can either join me in my purpose, and together we will reap that monster's head, or you do not."

He slowly stood up off the chair, facing the whole room. "And as far as I am concerned, any man, woman or child who is not with me, is _against_ me."

Diluvium started walking towards the door. "We can talk about this–" I attempted.

"Discussion is pointless," he dismissed. "You have twelve hours to make the right decision, or I will destroy you all."

For a second, it looked like one of the Teeth was about to bar Diluvium's way, but there was a brief flicker of hesitation, but then he seemed to think better of it. "These petty squabbles are distractions from my mission, they _will_ end. Who lives, who dies – that's evolution," he muttered darkly as he paused at the doorway. "And if anyone tries to hold me back, and –"

"Yeah, you'll destroy us all," Hades muttered, rolling his eyes. "We get it."

Without another word, Diluvium closed the door behind him and walked away. The bar was left in stunned silence.

"…Well," Lisa muttered after a long pause in my ear. "That happened."

Suddenly, Pan burst out laughing. The villain was practically rolling on the floor as he laughed. "Can't believe it, but I agree with the big guy actually," Pan chuckled, casting me a final foul glance. "This _is_ pointless, but it does have to end. Who lives or who dies, yeah, _that_ I can get behind."

With a glance, the Lost Boys started walking towards the exit. I could feel the mood shift." There's a revolution coming!" Pan screamed, just before he left. "Make sure you're on the right side when it all comes down!"

"Fuck you," Hades grunted at Pan, but the Deadites were standing up as well. The whole room was starting to shift. I had bugs planted on everyone, even a few of my special tracking bugs, I could track their movements after they left, but I still didn't want anyone leaving like this. It felt too volatile, too explosive...

"This meeting isn't over," I muttered, my voice low, but I knew instinctively it was useless. I could feel the tension changing. The decision had been made. It just wasn't my decision anymore.

"Oh, but it is!" Pan snapped. "Your rules – they're fucking _gone_. You want to end the riots? Oh – I'll end the riots alright!"

I glared, standing up off my seat. I could hear the challenge in his voice. The insects were ready to pounce, but my whole body was trembling. There weren't many ways this could end. "If you do anything stupid that's not going to end well for you," I challenged. Next to me, Bitch's dogs were beginning to transform. "You can either sit down and be civil, or you can start this fight and see how things end."

"Fuck that, only sheep sit down," Pan growled. "Why the fucking hell should we listen to a word you say?"

I glared at him. The whole bar was getting twitchy. "… Because if you're going to be hostile to us, then we'll have to be hostile to you. _That's_ what this truce is about. It's the only way anything can ever survive." I muttered, my gaze focused firmly on Pan. I recalled something that Brian had said briefly. "… You get what you give."

Pan's face broke out into a wide grin. "'You get what you give'?" he repeated quietly, before howling in laughter. "Oh yeah, I like that one. _You get what you give_. Yeah, I reckon I've received enough shit for one day."

"Get out of here, you twit," Hades growled at Pan, his whole body was shimmering slightly as a black aura started to emerge around him. "Why the fuck haven't you been beaten up yet?"

"You looking to start something, grease ball?" Pan roared, before Shadow and Wendy Wind grabbed his shoulder and pulled him insistently out of the bar. He was screaming obscenities as he went.

I could understand the sharp exit. Suddenly, the building really, really didn't feel like a safe place to be. More people were shouting. There were already capes fleeing out of the back. Behind me, Squealer and Trainwreck resumed their argument with Mush, with chairs and debris flying everywhere. I was panting as I felt the situation break apart around me. Bitch's dogs were rapidly growing, already above hip height with bone spikes emerging from their bodies as they snapped and growled.

"I guess that's that," Spree muttered coldly, staring firmly at me. All of the Teeth had their guns in their hands. In my earpiece, I heard Lisa screaming orders at Grue and the others. "You want this city? If you're alive afterwards, then you can keep it. No truce, let's end this the old fashioned way.

I shook my head. _No, no, no!_ I cursed. _I couldn't let it go down like this_. "Don't do this," I warned. "You don't want a war like this."

" _You've_ got the war, not me," Spree grunted. His gun buzzed into life, making a quiet humming sound. "I should shoot you right now."

My heart was pounding like a drum. Bitch's dogs roared as she let go off his chains. I barely threw my hand up to stop her time, and with a short bark both dogs stopped. All seven of the Teeth were armed, but the dogs were now larger than a small horse.

" _Go on then_ ," I snarled, as I pushed with my power. Suddenly, the spiders and bugs above tore through the ceiling, and the Teeth were suddenly faced by a giant mutant swarm threatening to jump down on them. I had insects ready to tear away the floorboards they were standing on as well. I saw Spree's face twitch. " _See how well that works out for you_."

There were brawls erupting around us. The hesitation ran through the Teeth. A close quarters brawl like this wasn't particularly good for them, Tinker-tech guns or not. If my bugs and Bitch's dogs went wild, that would get messy, but I didn't particularly like our odds either. After a few seconds, Spree relented with a grunt, fractionally lowering his weapon.

"From now on… " He warned dangerously. "… There is no truce. We fight until there's only one gang left. _All unwritten rules are off_."

My heart was in my mouth as I watched the Teeth leaving, storming towards the back of the building. They didn't want to risk that we had an ambush waiting out front. I could barely keep track of anything in the screaming and brawling, but I glimpsed Stormtiger and Cricket trying to shove their way towards me with an evil glare. I should have known that the Chosen's Scythe would take any opportunity to get to me.

"Get out of there, Taylor!" Lisa ordered urgently. "Quickly, before the Teeth get far enough away that they can safely start shooting through the building!"

She didn't have to tell me twice. Without another glance, I grabbed Bitch and Runaway and pulled them away, just as Stormtiger pushed through the crowd, invisible claws blurring around his hands. I glimpsed him pulling back his hands to strike, but then there wasn't enough to gasp as suddenly I gave the order for all the insects to attack.

The screaming was instant. I had spiders jump down with silk nets while centipedes burst from floorboards. The wasps and the bees exploded into a frenzy of stinging, while I used common flies to obscure and distract. I gave the order for the swarm to focus on one person at a time, paralysing, stinging and biting to get them to go down. For some of them it worked. Others, like Trainwreck, Whirlygig or Mush, didn't go down that easily.

At once, the air was thick with the insects buzzing around me. Bitch was trying to pull me away, but I hesitated, just long enough to try and subdue the fighting.

I felt the blast of air first. At once, the gust swept straight through the people, knocking aside my bugs, as suddenly I glimpsed Stormtiger charging towards me, claws swiping downwards.

I barely managed to push Bitch to the ground in time, but the shockwave still sent us flailing to the floor. Runaway wasn't so lucky – he took the full blast, and impact of the explosive claws sent him crashing backwards into the wall with painful thud.

Bitch was screaming orders for her dogs to attack, but in the chaos they couldn't even figure out _who_ to attack. The dogs were going wild more than anybody. I tried to gather my bugs, but something was off – their reactions were wrong, and a sharp pitch screaming came from the feedback. _Cricket_ , I realised with a jolt. She was using her sound to mess with my bugs again.

My head was still spinning from the shockwave. I blinked, and suddenly I saw a woman with a shaved head and a metal mask jumping towards me, two wicked metal scythes in her hands.

I couldn't react in time. I saw the scythes flashing, but then there was Bitch, charging headfirst towards Cricket, roaring like an animal as she dived. Compared to Cricket's agility, it was crude and brutish, but it was enough to knock her backwards as she spun out the way. Cricket darted backwards to retaliate with her scythes, but then Bitch whistled and her Rottweiler, bigger than a horse, charged at Cricket from behind.

If it had been anyone else, the dog would have torn her to shreds. Instead, Cricket reacted beautifully, dancing between the claws and diving between its legs, before spinning around for another shot. The dogs were left reeling, more affected by Cricket's echolocation than anyone. Bitch was left completely exposed facing both sharp scythes.

From the other side, I saw Stormtiger twist around, wind pushing him through the bugs as he readied his claws for another strike, straight towards me.

My head was spinning so madly I couldn't even focus. There I had been acting tough, but Stormtiger and Cricket were no slouches either.

There was no time to dodge. Instead, I just covered my head with my arms and charged forward. Stormtiger was just about to slash downwards when suddenly there was a splatter of blood from behind him. I blinked, and I saw Runaway, apparently totally recovered from the impact, as he jabbed his fingers straight into Stormtiger's back.

 _The guy who feels no pain always gets up quickly_ , I thought foggily. Stormtiger screamed, but reacted quickly and a force of wind took Runaway off his feet. Roaring in anger and pain, Stormtiger twisted and lunged with his claws, straight towards Runaway's chest.

If he was expecting Runaway to try to dodge, he was horribly mistaken. Instead, Runaway took the blow, even as the blades of air sliced into his shoulder, and he lunged to grasp Stormtiger, with both hands, on both shoulders.

"Your claws are blunt," he whispered quietly, before digging his fingers in. His voice was too calm, too focused…

 _Fuck, he's getting close to fifty percent_ , I thought with jolt of dread. Stormtiger was screaming as he collapsed to the ground, blood splattering madly from both shoulders. Invisible claws carved through flesh and bone like a hot knife through butter. I saw Runaway's body tensing, readying himself to tear both of Stormtiger's arms off...

"No!" I screamed, barely audible over the chaos. "Don't kill him!"

Runaway hesitated slightly, frowning in confusion as he looked at me. Thank god he hadn't reached Cutthroat-level yet. After a brief pause, he simply shrugged. "… Fine," he muttered, before letting Stormtiger drop to the floor. There was a _lot_ of blood and screaming.

Behind me, Bitch was facing off against Cricket, and despite the numerous cuts, somehow, she was holding her own. Cricket was faster, more agile, armed with sharp blades, yet Bitch fought like an animal. She wasn't a graceful person at all, but stocky and ferocious like a gorilla as she threw her arms and punched and kicked absolutely relentlessly until even Cricket was forced backwards.

Then the giant mutant Doberman managed to recover, Bitch bellowed an order and the beast charged at Cricket like an elephant. She tried to dodge backwards, but Bitch slammed into her with both hands, taking her off-guard while the mutant dog grabbed Cricket in its mouth like a chew toy.

"Rudy!" Bitch ordered. " _Shake!_ "

To her credit, Cricket didn't even scream as the massive dog twisted and dragged her with maddening speed. She even tried briefly to stab at the dog's eye with her scythes, but then when Cricket finally fell to the ground she didn't get up again. Bitch didn't let her go, even when she was on the ground Bitch was on top of her and punching her repeatedly straight through the metal cage with dull rhythmic grunts.

"Come on!" I ordered, while around me Whirlygig grabbed Trainwreck with his telekinesis and physically threw him through a wall. The building was shaking dangerously. "We need to go!"

Bitch didn't seem to hear. She was grunting and snarling as she just kept on punching, eyes wide with fury. Runaway had to grab her and try to drag her away. For a second, she twisted around as if to snap at Runaway, but then she met his gaze and seemed to think better of it.

Bitch whistled at her dogs, but they couldn't even respond properly to her with everything that was going on. I had to shove my way passed one of the Pincher's crew but then my bugs picked up on one of the capes – couldn't tell who – releasing some sort of power and instantly I felt the explosion incinerate hundreds of bugs. The fiery shockwave exploded outwards from the melee, causing the whole building to shudder.

I had to lunge towards the door, while Bitch grabbed Runaway by the coat and half-lifted, half-threw him outside. Both of Bitch's monstrous dogs were caught in the explosion – mostly unharmed, but now so berserk that not even Bitch could rein them in again.

My head was spinning. Behind me, the entire bar had exploded into pure pandemonium of screaming, fighting and bugs.

 _And there goes the last chance we had to deescalate the situation_ , I thought with a gulp.

It was so chaotic I could barely even think probably. Most of the capes had ran, but behind me Somer's Rock was still being devastated by at least a dozen capes, two giant dogs, and a thousand mutant bugs all going absolutely wild. I was panting as I staggered out onto the street, so disorientated that Bitch had to grab me off the pavement.

"You sonofabitch!" I heard Pan scream. I had to blink repeatedly trying to focus as I took on the scene in front of me. About two dozen yards from the bar, the Lost Boys were there against the Deadites. Hades and Pan were left screaming insults at each other, both groups facing off to fight.

"Get out of here, moron!" Hades bellowed furiously. His muscle degeneration aura was ramping up and flickering, like a dark shadow circling his body. "If I see you again, I'll tear you apart, you pussies!"

Pan's eyes were wild. "You looking to start something?!" He screeched, barely even sane. Hades looked like he was about to retaliate, before suddenly something took him off his feet and knocked him backwards.

Wendy Wind was there, her arms stretched out while ten feet away Hades went toppling into the pavement. She looked like she was about to cheer something with a smirk, before suddenly Vanth charged up to her and punched the girl straight in the face.

"… Come on, we need to go…" Runaway muttered, with a nervous look behind him as he tried to push us away. There was blood dripping down his hoodie, but he didn't seem to notice it, yet he was nervous again – he must have lowered the dial. Runaway was right – we were all too exposed out in the middle of the street.

Still, my eyes were drawn to the fight, where Pan was about to charge at Hades, before suddenly a massive shoulder knocked him to the ground.

"You bastard!" Pan howled, as Black Dog was there, towering over him.

 _The Deadites were totally owning the 'fight'_ , I noticed. It reminded me more of a schoolyard brawl than any actual fight. Compared to the Lost Boys, the Deadites had much more directly offensive powers.

Shadow was left fleeing from Anubis' finger claws, who was barely even trying, and even Vanth, who wasn't displaying any powers at all, actually, was clutching Wendy Wind's hair and repeatedly slapping the crap out of her. Hades was spitting and cursing as he dragged himself off the ground, but then Black Dog was left towering over Pan with his arms folded. Black Dog stood at least a foot taller than Pan, and twice as stocky.

Still, Pan didn't seem to notice as he slammed his knuckles straight into Black Dog's nose with a ferocious scream. The punch collided with a dull thump. Black Dog didn't even flinch.

" _Argh_ – _you bastard!_ " Pan roared, clutching his hand in pain, staggering across the ground.

Black Dog just grunted, folding his arms. Not aggressively, more like an immovable object. "Are you fucking stupid?" Black Dog growled. "What the hell are you meant to do me? I'm a _Brute_ – I've got unbreakable bones, bitch."

Pan glared at him furiously, glancing around the street until he saw Shadow. There was a brief pause, and then Shadow gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Pan turned around to glare at Black Dog.

"Is that right, buddy?" Pan snarled, still cradling his hand. "How about this, then? Tell me, can you breathe in space…?"

"Wha…?" Black Dog muttered, but he didn't get for before Pan lunged at him. Black Dog never even tried to react, still standing with his arms folded, but then Pan grabbed him and physically hoisted him off the ground.

There wasn't even time to scream as suddenly Pan was lifting Black Dog's body off the ground like it was as light as a feather, and twisting around and throwing him straight upwards.

The man accelerated at absolutely insane speeds. I blinked, and suddenly Black Dog disappeared into the sky.

"… _bitch_!" Pan hissed, glaring upwards into the sky. The figure turned into a tiny dot and then disappeared.

My mouth dropped open, staring incomprehensibly. The other Deadites were looking at Pan in shock. It had been over in less than a second.

 _What the fuck just happened?_ My thoughts were so jumbled I could barely make sense of it. Black Dog had just disappeared off the street. _Pan had lifted him up and just threw him, he made him weightless and he_ …

… _he threw him into space_.

Anything that was weightless just kept on going _up_.

Pan's face twisted in a mocking smile, slowly turning to stare at the remaining Deadites.

" _You bastard…!_ " Anubis roared, slashing down at Pan with his extra-long fingers, each digit almost like a whip. Pan didn't even try to dodge.

Instead, as soon as Anubis was about to piece his skin with his claws, Anubis just became massless and his sharpened fingers bounced off Pan's shoulder harmlessly. The recoil lifted his whole body into the air. Anubis had just about enough time to gasp in shock, before, almost lazily, Pan swatted at the teen as if he were some annoying bug.

That light blow was enough to send Anubis flying all the way to the other side of the street, before bouncing – literally bouncing like a ball – off a building and disappearing over the rooftops.

The voice of my high school physics teacher rattled almost eerily in my ear. _Force equals mass times acceleration_. If there was virtually zero mass, that meant nearly infinite acceleration.

Hades and Vanth were suddenly the only two Deadites left. They were both left staring at Pan in shock.

 _Fuck_ , I thought in stunned silence. _Lisa had told me that this guy was_ C rank…

Pan turned to glare towards me with an evil grin. "How you doing there, bug bitch?" He jeered, waving towards me. "Is this a _good_ day? You know, I think you've been treating people like _trash_ for long enough…"

I had just enough presence of mind to gather up my flying insects, collecting them into a buzz of wasps and flies before throwing them at Pan like a dark cloud. A flicker of annoyance passed across his face, before he turned and ran towards his team members.

All he needed to do was lightly touch Shadow and Wendy Wind and then suddenly a single footstep was enough to lift them all off the ground. He shot upwards, still clutching his teammates, colliding with the opposite building but bouncing off it like a balloon and bounding into the air. My swarm couldn't keep up.

I could only glimpse his mocking smirk before he disappeared over the rooftops.

"… _You get what you give!_ " Pan hissed, still laughing furiously, before bouncing out of sight.


	16. Evolution 03

**Evolution 3.03**

Grue arrived with the van about five seconds later, flanked by mercenaries with machine guns while around me the whole street was bursting into chaos. Maybe someone might have tried to stop us, but with Grue's darkness suffocating the street it was pretty hard to even see that we were running away. My mind was a blur as a henchman pulled me into the back of the van.

I switched to long-range mode as soon as I could, tracking the villains as best as possible. Pan and his crew disappeared into the air and out of range almost instantly. I felt the Teeth hurriedly rush away into cars that were waiting, all the while constantly spraying heavy bug spray behind them as they ran. They were clearly feeling paranoid about my insects.

By contrast, Diluvium was practically strolling away, calmly walking down the street – _daring_ anybody to try and stop him.

The Deadites weren't moving at all. While we were racing away, they were left just staring shocked around the street.

Then, about five blocks away, and nearly twenty minutes later, I felt the sudden jolt of a very fast object falling into my bug radar. The figure fell out of the sky and collided with the ground with a dull crunch, and didn't get up again. _Black Dog has just returned to earth_ , I thought with a sickening churn in my stomach.

Lisa just gave one order over the radio. "Return to base. Now."

We broke the speed limit all the way, before ditching the vans under an overpass and switching out into more discreet vehicles and clothes. The mercenaries drove the vans away without a word, and then ten minutes later Brian was left driving a completely non-descript Honda, struggling with his arm in a sling even with the automatic gearbox.

Dylan was bleeding quietly in the backseat, his shoulder still bloody from Stormtiger's claws even if he didn't feel the pain. Without a word from either of them, Rachel bent over and helped wrap him up as if he were one of her injured dogs.

I was left cradling my pounding head, my mind still flashing back to everything that had just happened.

"Well…" Alec said eventually, from the front seat. "I'm guessing that could have gone better, huh?"

I glared at him. Brian's lips were tight, angry, his brow clenched. "You should have had more protection with you."

I shook my head, with a pained gasp. I had been _trying_ to negotiate. "It would have sent the wrong message."

"Oh yeah, because this is totally the right one," Alec said snidely. Brian cast him a look, but didn't object.

I took a deep breath. "How did things go on your end?" I asked finally.

"Fine," Brian replied curtly. "We had a brief skirmish with the Fallen during the meeting – my guess they were trying to set up an ambush down the street, but we saw them off easily."

I nodded, feeling the mood die quietly after that. It was an awkward car journey.

The streets were deserted, but we passed signs of the riots constantly. Busted houses, smashed cars, looted shops. We had been changing hideouts frequently recently with all the damage, right now we were based in a run-down apartment building safely tucked into the most deserted area possible.

Lisa met us outside of our current hideout, her arms folded, her hair a mess and her legs pacing. Out of costume and in a deserted street, we didn't even need secrecy. Lisa looked as bad as I felt.

"Come on," she said with grimace. No greeting required. "We've got a problem. Several problems, in fact. And they're all trying to kill us."

"Well, hello to you too," Alec sighed, but he was left behind as we all raced through the door and up the stairs. Lisa had sit up a mini-control room in the middle of the sitting room, with seven monitors and frenzied notes scattered everywhere.

"Diluvium gave us twelve hours before he tries to kill us," Lisa said, biting her lip. "… He's a very… _literal_ person."

"We can take him down, though, right?" Brian insisted.

"Take him down? Sure. Physically he's no tougher than normal, and he suffers the Manton effect," Lisa said. "Taking him down _without_ an absolutely insane amount of collateral? That's the problem. If he dies, then his personal storage dimension is going to collapse."

That really didn't sound good. Diluvium had flooded whole streets before and yet he still always seemed to be keeping more in the tank. "… ' _Collapse_ '? But that means…"

"Get your ark ready because it's going to be a biblical reproduction," Alec contributed, but he was listening intently also.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Helpful, as always, Alec."

He smiled and bowed. "I try."

I took a deep breath. "Ok, so we need to lure him out of the city first," I said firmly. "We pull him somewhere he can't hurt anyone, I creep my bugs on him, problem solved."

Lisa shook her head. "That _might_ work, if nothing else intervened. Still, none of the others are going to stay quiet either," she explained. "The Teeth will have to make their move quickly too."

"We _can_ handle them, though," I insisted. They had only three capes in the city, and the Undersiders had taken down worse. This was our city, we could fight for it like none of the others could.

Lisa nodded. "Sure, of course we can." Her eyes darkened. "But do you know what the disadvantage is to being the strongest person in a brawl?"

I frowned, confused. Brian's eyes flickered. "…Everybody will always gang up on the strongest first," he answered.

"Bingo," Lisa said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "This is our city, so they'll be targeting us first. We – or, more specifically, _you_ –" She pointed firmly at me. "– are the biggest threat so they'll have to take you down first."

My mouth dropped open. "Me? But why–"

"Because they'll never be safe so long as you're in the city with a swarm of bugs that might get them at any time. If you're in play, they're guaranteed to suffer," Lisa replied coolly. "The Empire proved that. That's why _we_ really need to find a place to hunker down, let them kill each other off, wait it out until the PRT collars them all, and then come back later to pick up the pieces."

" _That's_ your plan?" I said incredulously. "Run away and hide until it's over?"

"I _like_ that plan," Alec said approvingly, nodding happily. "That's a _good_ plan."

"It does seem like my type of plan," Dylan agreed, speaking up for the first time. Rachel just scowled.

"No." My voice was solid iron. "If we run from this, there might not be a city to come back to. This is our city, we've got to protect it otherwise it's all pointless."

Brian nodded. "She's a got a point."

"That's exactly what _they_ want, Taylor," Lisa hissed. "They're going to have to try to draw you out into the fighting, in order to have a chance to get to get close to you and kill you. Let's _not_ do what the other guys want, hmm?"

"Also a good point," Brian conceded, with a grimace.

I shook my head. "They can keep on doing as much damage as they want until I come out to face them. Unless we act, we're sitting ducks." I realised how ironic the statement was as soon as I said it. _Fuck_ , I thought, _it's the Empire Eighty-Eight all over again – except now our roles were reversed_.

There was a long moment of quiet. "I'm not going out there without a plan," Brian said eventually, folding his arms.

"Then brace yourselves," Lisa muttered, rubbing her forehead in pain. "This is going to be a long night."

I hesitated. "I'll get my bugs ready," I said firmly. "Lisa, you find out who to hit and where to hit them, and then we hit them hard."

She nodded. I glanced towards Rachel. "Rachel, you need to get your dogs somewhere safe. Evacuate the shelters, move them somewhere out of town."

Her brow knotted. "Where?"

"The Trainyard," I suggested. "It's been pretty quiet up there. Take all the dogs you can, hide out there, get them safe, we'll call you when we need you."

"The Trainyard – you sure?" Brian said nervously. "That's Mutant territory."

My eyes flickered. "It's also the only place we can be sure the riots won't reach." I couldn't allow the dog shelters to get caught up in a gang war, but a horde of fifty plus dogs would be safe enough in the Trainyard. The Mutants had never been known to attack directly, anyways.

In fact, nobody really knew who or what the Mutants actually were. The name referred to the sightings that cropped up along with the refugees, but it was always with a question mark next to it. The most we had were a couple of grainy photos and horror stories from around the Trainyard. They were clearly parahuman, probably Case 53s, but by all accounts they weren't pushing any drugs or doing any crime.

The only reason nobody had forced them out was that there was nothing of value up there. As far as could anyone could tell, the Mutants weren't actually doing anything – just a really weird gang loitering around but staying out of sight, occasionally scaring some homeless man.

"Nobody should go out alone," Lisa warned.

"I'll go with you," Runaway said quietly, glancing at Rachel.

"No, you're still injured." I pointed to the blood from his shoulder still dripping through his hoodie. He frowned. "Just because you don't feel pain doesn't mean it's not there."

"I'll go," Brian said almost reluctantly. His darkness had pretty good synergy with Rachel's dogs in any case. I nodded, but Lisa frowned quizzically.

"Isn't there someone _you_ need to look after?" She asked Brian, frowning with confusion.

Brian blinked. "No, no one that I can think of," he said with a shrug, before leaving the room. "Let me grab my costume."

"Be safe," I muttered awkwardly, before adding. "I'll get the swarm ready."

"And _I_ …" Alec said dramatically. "… am going to order a pizza. Anyone want one?"

There were times when I really, really envied Alec. I was practically twitching from nerves, but it was like he didn't even feel it. It was enough to make me smile softly, all the while Lisa was already dropping into full-on tactical mode. I barely even listened, my mind was already reaching outwards, sifting through my bugs as I dived into the swarm.

With a deep breath, I focused firmly as my powers organised and sorted through millions of insects.

In the last few days, with riots striking up everywhere, I had been setting up hives and insect caches scattered all around the city so I could respond quickly to anywhere. It worked, but it also meant that a large portion of my insect swarm was left out of reach. _I now had a matter of hours to try to bring it back into line again_ , I thought as I closed my eyes to focus.

The world drifted away. Suddenly, all I could feel were the bugs. I needed an insect army, and instantly my powers blared as I organised my battalions…

Waves of swirling data were processed in a blink of an eye.

Instantly, whole legions of spiders, ants and centipedes started marching in formation.

 _I have to define my goal_ , I thought firmly. One thing that I had learned was that my powers were at their very best when I had clearly defined goal. _Focus_ …

Firstly, Diluvium. _I need some way of taking him down quickly and quietly_. As soon as I thought that, my powers were already targeting the smallest of insects, with barely a conscious instruction on my part. I visualised lice and tiny spiders, something that could creep on him without him noticing, and inject enough poison to paralyse him before he could release any water. It was the only safe way to bring him down…

I could feel my powers already sorting through the breeding pools, selecting all of the best characteristics – the most potent poison, the smallest size. It was like a search engine filtering through streams of data, and in the back of my mind I could feel my insects restructuring as new orders were given for new ways to meet the demand.

Instantly, dozens of new breeding pools flashed into mind. My admin powers were actually trying to redesign my bugs on the fly.

 _Focus_ …

Next, it was Pan. His powers were troubling, but also manageable. If he touched me it could be game over, but he was also a pretty terrible flyer. He could move fast, but only in straight lines and very easily stopped. I needed some way of catching him, of tying him down. If he was really massless, it wouldn't take much. Silk nets would do it, I just needed some way of catching him. _I need a way of weaving nets in the air_ , I thought firmly. _I need flying spiders_.

My powers took that order and ran with it, suddenly managing the different commands in parallel.

Spree and the Teeth were more troublesome. There was nothing for them except to take them down fast, and hard. _I need something vicious, a ravenous swarm that could cut through clones faster than Spree could produce them_ …

The image of locusts flashed into mind.

One by one, I went through every single villain who had been at that meeting. My powers took all of the information and handled it. It was like a supercomputer running two dozen complex optimisations all at once. I couldn't keep track of it consciously, but I could _feel_ it working.

Around me, the bugs morphed into the most well-organised army ever created. I could feel my powers loading up the instructions into their tiny little bug brains, dispersing the control amongst the swarm.

I was creating bug swarms that were _designed_ to take down a particular target. I was creating new routines and behaviours that my power was pushing into the swarm automatically.

 _This could work_ , I thought with awe, still feeling my powers roar into motion. It wasn't flashy, but it felt incredible. It was like there were three thousand assembly lines running in parallel inside my head.

I had take a deep breath just to cool my head. Whole hours had past while I had been lost in my head, sorting through bugs. The sun was already setting. I had to pause, telling Lisa I was going for a walk to gather more walk bugs from the area while I popped out, walked for nearly half an hour until I was in range of the hospital, and made a phone call. It was a depressingly short conversation, but I could only hope it did some good. There was no time to do anything else.

"We've got the first riots over by the Docks," Lisa reported as soon as I walked back through the door, glancing up from her computer screen. She had been making texts and calls constantly.

"How many?" I asked, closing my eyes and sitting down back to concentrate.

"Three hundred looters. The authorities have it pretty much controlled." Three hundred. Not very many at all, really. We had been dealing with worse.

Still, it was barely dusk. Things were still early.

 _I'm going to need more bugs_ , I thought with a grimace.

Half an hour later, the next report came in. Five hundred rioters, clashed against one of the barricades around the south refugee camp. Lisa's phones were buzzing constantly right now.

Normally, the Undersiders would be setting out about now to try and put the riots down. It was too dangerous tonight – we just had to wait and prepare.

 _More bugs_ , I thought determinedly. It was getting harder and harder to keep on organising. My powers were still expanding, but the swarm was sluggish. My powers were trying to push the swarm into new directions, but it couldn't. It was like a master artist trying to create something beautiful using putty. My powers were still pushing, but the medium was falling apart.

I had an army of a million bugs in formation, ready to roll. Many of the bugs were larger, more poisonous, or faster, or more adaptable, but I knew in my bones that just wasn't enough.

My Tinker powers were practically screaming 'optimise further' but there was just a limit to how much bugs could do.

There were limits on how fast insects could evolve. There were limits to how far bug biology could stretch. There were limits how many orders a bug could take. My powers were hitting all of those limits and it really, really didn't like that.

 _Damn it, I need more than this_. The thought was infuriating. It was like I had all of this information in my head saying 'this is how much you _could_ do', but I just… couldn't.

It was dark outside now. My bugs could already feel the tremors of the city shaking.

"Oh damn," Lisa muttered with a grimace. "We've a got a problem. Diluvium is on the move."

"What? Where?"

"East side. The PRT tried to ambush him while he was sleeping. They tried to subdue him with an absolutely insane amount of containment foam. It worked about as well as you would expect." Lisa bit her lip. "He's on the warpath now."

My hands clenched. When he was in a fight, Diluvium constantly ejected and absorbed high-pressured water around himself to create a walking maelstrom. My normal bugs wouldn't be able to get close when he was like that. _I need aqua bugs_. I need something big and strong that could survive severe flooding in order to close enough to deal some pain. Right now, I still had pitiful few of lobsters and crabs in the swarm, there was barely anything for my powers to use.

I could have screamed. It felt like my powers were the most advanced command system in the world, they just needed something better to work with…

The next report came fifteen minutes later. "A mob of six hundred has just overwhelmed a mall in the Boardwalk."

I frowned. "Oh?"

"They're all the same person."

"Oh." Realisation dawned. "Spree?"

She nodded. "Fuck."

 _I needed more explosive beehives_ , I decided firmly. I had never managed to replenish my stock after the Empire Assault – there had just never been time, and the nitro-glycerine bees required constant supervision. I had to drop into full search mode and as I tried to scrounge up whatever explosives bees I could.

Five minutes later, there was a very short call. "… The Slum City barricades have just fallen," Lisa said quietly.

"How many?"

"Couldn't count."

I took a deep breath. The street around us was deserted, but I knew that further in the city things would be getting very hectic, very fast. I should be there, I thought with a gulp.

"Alexandria?" I asked after a moment. "What about the Wards?"

"They're still running damage control around Diluvium," Lisa reported. "Dragon even sent in one of her suits, apparently. It didn't last long." Lisa hesitated, before picking up her phone. "I'm going to see if we can call in any allies…"

I paused. "What about the Lost Boys?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing. No sightings." Somehow, that wasn't encouraging. Pan really didn't seem like the sort to stay at home, and he had been very angry. I would have felt better if they really had been raising havoc, because then at least I'd have known where he was…

There was a buzz of the TV from the living room. The local news station was reporting on solely on the riots in an emergency broadcast. Any civilians that weren't taking part were taking refugee in the Endbringer shelters.

 _Focus on my bugs_ , I told myself firmly. When there was an opportunity, we'd take it, but right now there was no choice except to lay low. Right now, we just had to prepare.

 _Except_ , I thought with a grimace, _maybe the other guys were preparing something as well_ …

On the television, a pretty blonde news anchor was trying to report while flashing pictures of burning buildings and screaming mobs raged around her…

In the other room, there was a buzz as Alec's phone rung. At once, he was trundling down the stairs. "Pizza's here," he called, snapping everyone out of the moment.

Lisa blinked. "What? You mean you _actually_ ordered?"

He shrugged. "Hey, deep pan pepperoni and mushroom," he said simply. "If you're not going to eat it, I will."

I was about to say something, but I shook my head. The distractions were getting to me. Right now, I just had to focus. I was still struggling trying to use my long range poor control, desperately trying to drag more insects towards me. I needed a bigger swarm, but the headache was building and I could feel my concentration slipping.

 _Focus_ , I thought firmly. My powers were struggling, but I needed to push it further. Find another solution. Block out everything else, just focus on–

– _Pizza delivery_.

The thought took me off guard. It was so obvious I could barely even notice until something in the back of mind shouted out.

The whole city was in lockdown. How the hell had Alec managed to find a fast food joint that was still open?

Through my bug sense, I could feel the pizza deliveryman outside the building, gaudy colourful costume and all. It was so unusually normal that I had to blink just to process it. There were riots less than a mile away. _Now then, either there was the most dedicated deliveryman in history standing outside, or_ …

Alec opened the door. My blood went cold even before I made the connection. The deliveryman looked almost middle-aged, short, lean with chicken arms, wearing a purple cap. The man looked so harmless that of course Alec didn't even hesitate before he opened the door.

"Ten fifty, please," the man asked casually.

"Cheers, mate," Alec replied, handing him the notes. The man took it and smiled. It was only when I saw the tattoos under the uniform that I made the connection.

The last time I saw this man he had been wearing a white costume.

"Thanks," he said, still reaching out for the notes as he made eye contact. "Now why don't you stay perfectly still and just wait here?"

Back in the living room, I jumped to my feet. "Oh goddamn Alec you idiot…" I cursed, already trying to gather my swarm.

Lisa blinked. Downstairs, Alec wasn't moving by the front entrance. "What's going on?"

"It's–"

"Valefor, honey," the pizza deliveryman greeted smugly, walking into the room. "Hi. Now stand up don't move and don't speak."

Eye contact. I barely averted my gaze in time. Lisa wasn't so lucky. Their eyes met for a second, and then suddenly Lisa's body went stiff. My swarm was scattered around the street, but instantly every wasp and spider jerked into life. They didn't even have time to move before the sound of a sharp click made my blood run cold.

Valefor suddenly had a large pistol in his hand, pointing it at Lisa. "Skitter, I presume?" Valefor said coldly, casting his eyes suspiciously around the room. "If I see a single insect, I will shoot her."

 _Oh fuck_. The words were barely enough. There were instantly men rushing towards the building, cars streaming down the road from out of sight. Lisa's powers were on the fritz and I had been distracted. We lost any early warning system and never even realised.

My heart was pounding, instinctively diving for cover behind the television. It was pretty terrible cover, but there was nowhere better. Lisa's eyes were frantic. I had to drop the bulk of my swarm, but I ordered dozens of black widows and ants to creep through the floorboards. I knew instantly that they wouldn't get here in time.

I risked a glance towards Lisa, still standing stiff with a man pointing a gun at her barely a dozen feet away. Her face was twitching like she was trying to speak, but she didn't say word. _Couldn't_ say a word. Valefor's hypnosis was forcing her to stay still and be quiet.

The men were charging up the stairs now, crashing through the door. There were two dozen of them, at least, all clutching shotguns or handguns close to their chest. Alec was left standing helplessly holding the front door open as suddenly two large men dragged him to one side.

Oh fuck.

The curse words weren't enough. The men were all police officers, gang members, construction workers, or even just random civilians. Valefor must have just caught whatever civilians he could off the street and hypnotised them into his own personal militia.

There were at least three dozen of them, and more sprinting in every second.

Every single one of them had cans of bug sprays in their belts, dropping them and spraying every inch. I could have still attacked, but with Lisa held hostage…

By the time five bulky men with shotguns burst through the front door, I lost whatever options I had left.

From the next room, Dylan must have heard the noise. As soon as he opened the door, there was suddenly a sawn-off shotgun nozzle being jammed into forehead by a man in a suit. Dylan blinked in shock while the men dragged him roughly into the room at gunpoint, while Valefor ordered his men to secure the building.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by guns from all sides. My heart felt like it was pounding in my chest.

No costumes, no escape route. The Fallen had caught us with our pants down.

 _Thirty seven_ , I realised suddenly, head spinning. There were fifty seven hypnotised goons charging around the building. I kept my eyes tightly closed against Valefor's hypno eyes, but I could still see everything through my bugs. The goons were still dropping and spraying bug spray canisters everywhere. The bug spray was more annoying than effective, but it felt like the final nail in my coffin.

They had been well-prepared.

There was another man walking up the stairs. Eligos was the only one in costume, dressed up as Behemoth. They were both laughing. The flash of a camera caused me to flinch. Eligos was there, standing next Valefor as he held his phone as camera, pointing at me.

 _Taking a picture of me out-of-costume, standing at gunpoint_ , I realised. _Now that was just twisting the knife_.

"What, no Bitch or Grue?" Valefor sneered, as his men searched the building. They moved with no hesitation – just a pure commitment to a pre-prepared hypnotic order. "Shame. Still, _you_ were always the big prize."

I could barely even breathe with the panic. "… How…" I stammered, glancing around the suddenly crowded room. "… How could you…?"

Valefor snorted. "What? How could I find you? With a great deal of effort, actually," he said smugly, dropping his cap to the ground. "Do you have any idea how many people I hypnotised around the city with the order to report in at any sign of Undersiders? Of course, the big one was _him_ …" He pointed to Alec, being frogmarched into the room. "… I ran into Regent and his boyfriend earlier today. I managed to catch him with a compulsion to _order_ _a pizza_ without him realising. A bit of precision hypnosis later, a few talks with a couple of fast food joints and it was really only a matter of time before he invited us to your hideout himself."

Eligos guffawed in laughter. My heart was racing. I could have ten thousand bugs here in a minute, but they couldn't do anything to stop bullets. I met the eyes of Valefor's drones, and they all looked almost dead.

 _Just how many orders had Valefor put into his drones?_ I thought with panic. _Follow orders, take the Undersiders hostage, be expendable?_ There must so many hypnotic suggestions and orders written into the men that they were under the Fallen's complete control.

They had shotguns and pistols and they were standing in a circle with me in the centre, but at the same time I knew they didn't care if they hit each other in the crossfire. If they fired, the whole place would be a massacre of bullets. _These guys are just unlucky civilians_ , I thought with dread, _I can't let them die either._

I met Lisa's eyes for a moment, and she quietly shook her head. Her face was white.

"You think of trying something? I wouldn't." Valefor motioned to one of the men, a thickset, beefy man wearing a heavy coat. He obediently opened up his coat to reveal a stocky vest. Valefor's grin was vicious. There were wires trailing out of the vest.

My mouth dropped open. I suddenly realised that there were other men wearing similar vests. "DIY explosive vests," Eligos snickered.

"You bastard…" I gasped. He actually turned them into walking bombs.

"What? Haven't you heard? The unwritten rules are off."

The anger was overwhelming the fear. I could feel my body trembling. _Fuck them_ , I thought furiously, already giving the order for the most poisonous insects I had around to creep up on them.

I could take them down, but I couldn't do it cleanly. There was too much at stake if I tried a sneak attack and it went wrong.

 _What other options did I have?_ Grue and Bitch might be able to rescue us, but that wasn't good odds. Eligos and Valefor were both standing by the doorway, slightly out of the room. If things turned explosive, with Eligos's wind blasts they kept the best chance of walking out. If things exploded, he could use his wind to deflect the explosion.

They had absolutely every advantage, but I couldn't just do nothing…

The thought of the explosive vests was scary. These men were just victims – they probably didn't even know what they were doing. I couldn't let them die either, and I couldn't attack without someone detonating. _Could I use bugs to disable the explosives?_ Maybe enough ants could eat through the wires. It certainly didn't look high-tech, but if there were any sort of safety…

My fists tightened as I thought about the pictures on Eligos's phone. _I also had to get that phone off them_ , I thought furiously. _There was no way that I would let scum like the Fallen blackmail my secret identity_ …

"Open your eyes," Valefor ordered quietly, his voice dangerously low.

"As if," I said sarcastically. Around me, the guns twitched.

There was a moment of tense quiet. _What happened now?_ I thought quietly. _They take us hostage, drag us out? They could do, easily, but when there was still the threat of my insects hanging over them…_

 _No,_ I realised suddenly _. They had no need for_ hostages _…_

There was a brief pause. "What's the plan here?" I said finally. Lisa was still mute, I was the only one who could stall. "You think you can take the city?"

"We took you down." Valefor shrugged. "Nothing personal, love, you were always just the biggest fish. The other will just pay a lot more respect to us once we gut you."

"Well, thanks," I growled, risking a glance around. Alec was on the ground, hands on his head, while Dylan was staring firmly at the floor. Valefor was still smirking.

 _He's the sort that likes to brag_ , I realised. They could have just killed us now and be done with it. Instead, he wanted to make sure we knew we had lost. They wanted to twist the knife.

There was a pause. Every second felt dangerous. Valefor slowly began to walk forward, arrogant and smug. His gaze twisted over to Lisa, still standing mute, but her eyes were defiant. "You must be Tattletale, hmm?" He said with a smirk. "You have something to say? You can speak."

She gasped as her voice returned. Lisa's eyes narrowed as she glared at his deliveryman uniform. "… You're going to get the worst Yelp review in history," she spat finally.

"Cute." The nozzle of his gun levelled against Lisa's forehead. Her mouth stammered uselessly. I could barely breathe.

"You kill us and there are others that will slaughter you in revenge," I growled.

"I'll risk it," Valefor murmured, as he clutched his gun tightly. I saw his arm tense. My mind went blank with fear.

He was going to shoot her.

The thought shook me to the bone. My mind was paralysed, but suddenly my body seemed to move on autopilot. There was no plan, just a sudden impulse to act as I jumped forward.

I caught the first man off-guard. He was police officer with a skinny build and a shotgun. The hypnotised goons didn't have such good reactions. What little bugs I had around all attacked together at once, but I knew instinctively there weren't enough in position.

Valefor screamed in pain, before trying to pull the trigger. He didn't quite manage it as Alec flinched suddenly, Valefor arm twitched at the last second and the whole room cracked as the pistol unloaded in the ceiling.

Everything happened in a second. I could barely process it. I crashed into the police officer. He was much bigger than me, stronger, but I had surprise on my side. I managed to wrap my hands around his shotgun, pushing the barrel to one side, but I couldn't quite drag it out of his hands…

… Every other goon twitched…

… Valefor tried to scream something, just as Dylan jumped off the ground, slamming straight into him…

… Every single man flinched and jumped…

… I heard a gun unload…

… Eligos raised his hands…

The blast of wind sent a shockwave that knocked me and half a dozen men to the floor, tearing the furniture off the ground. I took the full blast. My ears popped. My mind went blank.

Suddenly, I was lying on the ground, wheezing in pain and gasping for breath. The sawn-off shotgun was now in my hands. I aimed it even without thinking.

Every other gun was aimed at me. I was staring at the barrels two dozen nozzles at me. Eligos was still covered in the doorway, but Valefor was in the centre of the room. Valefor was on the ground, covered by several men acting as human shields in front of him.

Dylan had been tackled to the floor, pressed into carpet with two men, a man in tracksuit and gang member with tribal tattoos, on top of him. I was instantly aware at how many explosives and firearms were crammed into a suddenly very small room.

"Drop the shotgun," Eligos warned. He had bug bites on him, but not enough.

I had never realised how heavy a shotgun was before. "You should have left as soon as you had a chance," I said with a gasp. "Instead, you got _arrogant_. If this place explodes, you die too."

I couldn't see Valefor behind his wall of human shields, but I could feel the sudden worry in his voice. He wasn't so confident now that I had a gun too. "Are you sure that you want to risk that?" He snarled.

" _Are you?!_ "

"Oh fuck we're all going to explode," Alec groaned, barely even struggling as a construction worker held him in a deadlock.

"… Let's talk about this for a moment…" Lisa said with a gasp. "… This doesn't have to get messy."

"Oh, yeah, let's stall longer until your backup arrives," Valefor snapped. "Skitter, you've only got one shot with that gun."

 _It was the most unfair Mexican standoff ever_ , I thought with a grimace. I was lying on the ground, surrounded by firearms, outnumbered two dozen to one. Still, so long as the risk of explosion was there, they couldn't be so sure of firing randomly either. Because Valefor got arrogant by walking into the room, he put himself in danger of his own explosives. That was enough leverage for me.

 _Or at least, that was the plan,_ I thought with a strike of doubt. _It isn't a very good plan, but it's the best one I've got_.

"Tell your goons to put the weapons down," I said after a long pause. "Either we all walk out of here, or none of us do."

"Bugger that," Valefor growled, but there was a wince of pain in his voice. He had bug bites across his body, and there were more creeping in at every second. A lot of the goons didn't look so good either.

Through my bug vision, I suddenly realised that he was bleeding slightly from his wrist. Dylan managed to clip him with his claws before the men took him down. Dylan was still being forced onto the ground, struggling to breathe with the men on top of him.

"You want to walk away too!" I snapped. There was sweat dripping off my brow. _I've never held a gun before_ , I realised. It was a hell of a learning experience.

"I do, I've just got a better idea," Valefor muttered, so quietly I could barely hear. He turned slightly to stare at Dylan still lying on the ground. "You're the new guy, eh?" He whispered. "Cutthroat, right? I heard that you're a bit of a killer…"

Dylan tried to struggle, feebly. He could barely even breathe with a police officer and a man in suit practically sitting on him.

"How's this, then, Cutthroat…?" Valefor whispered, maintaining eye contact. "… I want you to go and kill Skitter for me. You _want_ to murder her."

…

The room went silent. I blinked. Dylan's face didn't even twitch. I felt the breath leave my lungs.

In the distance, I heard Lisa whisper under her breath. "Oh, you dumb, dumb bastard…"

My eyes were locked firmly on Dylan, watching his face. At first, he looked almost confused. Then, slowly, his expression morphed. His face twisted. I saw his brow crease, his upper lip curl backwards over his teeth, the circles around eyes darkened. I never realised just how much his face morphed when he changed before…

And then, when I saw his pupils glint bright blue, I realised just how much trouble we were all in.

Valefor was smirking right up until the moment he heard the snarl.

After that, everything went straight to hell.

Dylan was surrounded by guns and explosives. You would have had to be completely and utterly insane to start a fight in a situation like that. Unfortunately, he became completely and utterly insane.

The attack was so sudden nobody could have stopped it. They weren't restraining a person any more, instead he lunged like an animal. I briefly heard the way Valefor gasped – a short, half-surprised, half-scared intake of breath – right before Cutthroat was on him.

There wasn't even time to scream before Cutthroat's lunged at him – pouncing _teeth_ first.

Telekinetic teeth splattered straight through flesh and bone.

Valefor never even had time to scream before invisible claws were tearing straight through him and smearing him over the walls.

My heart was beating so fast that the sight of blood splattering madly looked almost in slow motion.

Lisa was screaming. " _Run!_ "

I couldn't even process what happened next.

I was vaguely aware of Eligos roaring as blades of winds tore the apartment to pieces. Floorboards splintered as bullets echoed everywhere. I had only the vaguest notion of my powers kicking in on autopilot and suddenly the insects were streaming everywhere. The goons stumbled, losing all coordination as everything went mad.

Everything just dissolved into pure chaos and blood.

I was pretty sure that Cutthroat must have taken at least three bullets in the first five seconds alone. That never even slowed him down as he tore through three men in the blink of an eye and charged at Eligos. The next second, Cutthroat slashed straight through Eligos's shockwaves and he was snarling just as he stabbed his hands straight through into Eligos's stomach and tore upwards, ripping him open from hip to neck.

It was a slaughter. We were all trapped in a room with a merciless animal and a lot of explosives.

I was too busy frantically grabbing Lisa, with Alec dragging her from the other arm, as we dragged her off the ground and just ran.

Perhaps Valefor's hypnosis went haywire when he died. Around me, it was like all of the goons were suddenly screaming and shooting in panic.

There was no second of hesitation. The front door was blocked, and my feet were moving and leaving my brain behind. The window was suddenly the only escape route.

Alec did hesitate. He paused for a second in panic, before I half-dragged, half-threw him straight through broken glass.

We were on the first floor. I only had a brief moment of pure panic as gravity took over, before suddenly I was crashing backwards onto the metal lid of the dumpster in the street below. Lisa crashed onto me with a painful oomph while Alec rolled onto the pavement painfully.

A heartbeat later, there was whoosh of air as the apartment exploded.

I felt the shockwave rattle my bones. A thousand insects died instantly, while glass shattered around me. I could feel puke rise up in the back of my mouth, but there was no time to pause to be sick. I dropped to the ground, limping painfully as my head spun madly. Somehow, I was still clutching the shotgun in my hand.

The building behind me was on fire. There was screaming, but not much.

I suddenly thought of Dylan, but then my remaining bugs felt a figure charging down the steps at the front. He was bounding along on four legs, completely ignoring the tatters of burning clothes on him. Three of the Valefor's men tried to flee, but they didn't get far before he pounced on them. I knew instantly that nobody would be getting away from him alive.

 _He was too far gone_ , I realised in dread. _Fuck, at this stage, Cutthroat would kill us as surely as everyone else_. "We need to run!" I bellowed, while Alec was still rolling around on the floor in pain. "Faster!"

Alec muttered something under his breath, but I didn't catch it. Lisa looked barely conscious, yet she was stammering around like in a daze. I grabbed her arm and dragged her, ignoring my body screaming with every step.

Already, my powers had gathered a swarm of bugs covering me, but it was mostly just flies and moths. I never had enough of my good stuff left.

Thankfully, I felt Cutthroat running in the opposite direction, chasing down the remains of Valefor's men as they fled, snarling and howling like a beast as he cut through them without pause. In the back of my head, I knew they were just brainwashed civilians that didn't deserve it, but the more pragmatic side of me also knew that Cutthroat was so berserk now that there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it.

We barely managed to limp to the end of the alley before I felt three figures blocking off the path. My body went limp.

Apparently Valefor had left men behind to secure the perimeter.

There was a police officer, a homeless man and a firefighter. The police officer and the homeless man had pistols, the firefighter had an axe.

" _Please_ tell me that you guys aren't mind-controlled anymore," I wheezed.

The police officer raised his gun to fire. Well, so much for that hope.

My bugs struck out without hesitation. There was no time to be gentle. Flies and insects went straight for the eyes, the nostrils, the ear canals and the mouth. The man grunted in pain, firing the gun madly into the pavement. The sound was deafening.

My body ached, but somehow I pushed forward. The police officer received the butt of the shotgun slammed firmly into his nose. It was a solid impact, so hard it jarred my wrist, but the man reeled and lashed out. I barely managed to duck under the backhanded fist, but then I felt the homeless man take aim through the bugs towards me.

For one frantic second, I didn't think I'd be able to dodge in time. Then, Alec, still groaning in pain, flinched slightly. The man's fingers seized and the handgun dropped to the ground.

There was no time to be relieved before the police officer's knee slammed up into my stomach. I crumpled to the ground, the shotgun clattering to the ground, but instinctively raised my fists above my head protectively.

Suddenly, I was left facing off against three men.

 _I've only ever had a few sparring sessions with Brian_ , I thought with a gulp. I really had no idea how to fight properly. _Fuck, I've got a lot of learning to do very quickly_.

"A bit of help here?!" I screamed, dodging backwards as the firefighter came charging at me, swinging the axe madly.

"… You look like you've got things under control," Alec muttered, still panting and cradling his side. Lisa looked barely even conscious.

I felt the growl burst from my throat. I had flies and bugs covering every inch of my skin, while even more bugs tried to attack the men. The swarm was great for irritation, but bugs like these couldn't give any knockout blow. That was all on me.

The men were big, they had the size advantage, but they were also crazed and slow. I managed to dance between the firefighter's swing, my fists colliding with his jaw, before pushing the officer into the homeless man as he tried to pick up the gun. I was landing punches, but I knew instinctively that my blows just weren't powerful enough.

"Alec…!" I grunted, wheezing as I collided with the firefighter as he tried to grab me in a lock, punching his stomach furiously. "… You…! Are…! A…! Douche!"

Finally, the firefighter went down, gasping for breath and clutching his stomach as I twisted out of his grip. It was graceful, it was dirty and exhausting, but it worked. The police officer swung at me, while the homeless man tried to attack from behind. I had early warning, and I slipped away and tried to knock them into each other.

"Whoo!" Alec wheezed quietly, watching the fight as he clapped enthusiastically. "Way to go Skitter, you got this."

 _Oh I'm going to slap him_ so _hard_.

I would have retorted, but it was taking everything I had to avoid getting caught by the flailing punches. Up close, in a fistfight, surrounded, with so little bugs around to use, it was absolutely the worst situation for me.

I couldn't match them in strength, so instead I had to use speed. I formed two bug decoys either side of me, but so up close there was no way that they could have been fooled. Instead, I had to use the decoys in melee, wrapping the decoys around my body to hide my movements.

The police officer flinched to block a bug covered fist, yet that fist to dissolved into flies while my real fist collided a second later into his stomach. The homeless man swung wide at me, his hand flying through a shell of bugs left as an outline while my real body ducked.

Their punches were missing and mine weren't, but they still just weren't going down. Even the firefighter was shambling up again. My knuckles were aching. _I've never realised just how hard it is to actually knock somebody unconscious before_.

An elbow came so close it clipped against my forehead, causing everything to spin. I had to dive around as the homeless man tried to charge me from behind while I traded blows with the police officer. I nearly tripped, but then I felt the slight stumble as the man also lost his balance. Without any conscious thought, my hand struck out upwards, while I ducked down and slammed my shoulder into his lower chest.

My hand gripped the homeless man's beard and just pulled. I heard the scream of pain as he stumbled, and then suddenly he was toppling over my body. For a frantic second, I thought he was going to crush me, but then the man was crashing to the ground and slamming straight into the police officer. Both men collided with flailing and limbs and just toppled.

That was the all the opportunity I needed. I grabbed the shotgun off the floor, clutching it like a blunt object as I brought the butt straight to the homeless man's forehead. He toppled easily. The police officer was harder, he tried to wrestle, but as he was still picking himself off the ground I hammered the shotgun repeatedly into face. After the fourth blow, he went down.

I almost collapsed with exhaustion. Then, behind me, I sensed the firefighter shambling to his feet, despite the insects biting his eyes and crawling down his throat. He was clutching his axe again.

I sighed. "I'm _really_ sorry about this," I said with a second's hesitation. "You probably don't deserve it, but, well…"

With that, I pointed the shotgun at his knee and pulled the trigger. The recoil nearly caused me to drop the gun. There was a sickening crunch of bone and a splatter of blood, and then the man was collapsing to the floor, screaming in pain.

"Knew you could do it," Alec said approvingly, still just watching from a safe distance. He pointed behind him down the alley. "Except…"

I could have cried.

There were another four of Valefor's army charging at us from behind. Two police officers, a construction worker in a yellow jacket, and a heavy-set man that looked like a biker.

It took all the strength I had left just to pull myself to my feet again.

"Don't worry." My voice was bitter as I limped forward. "… _I'll_ handle this."

Alec grinned, stepping backwards slightly. "Whoo! You _go_ , girl!"

It felt easier, though. My powers had had more time to work now, regathering more and more useful bugs to my side, working away in the background. I was exhausted, but more prepared. The fight wasn't so terrifying. They were bigger and stronger, but I still had plenty of other advantages. I could take them.

It was still a brawl, though. And it still hurt.

The first officer went down under the pure mass of spiders and centipedes. The construction worker needed a few hits over the head with a shotgun as well. The second officer went down hard – he was stubborn right until the very end, despite a concentrated onslaught of wasp sting and punches. It was only when Alec helped trip him up that he finally went down for good.

The biker lasted the longest, though. He was protected by thick leathers, and he was big and beefy enough to stay standing even while his eyes were bloody and his body was rocking unsteadily. Around me, the building was still burning and everything was chaotic. I was left panting, collapsing breathlessly to the ground after every punch, while he kept on flailing like a bear.

My fists felt like they were broken. Even despite insects practically consuming him, the biker kept swinging blindly. I was left crouched over, shoulders hunched as I punched his chest like a punching bag. There was no grace or anger, just a steady rhythm as fists collided against fat consistently. One-two, one-two, one-two…

For a second, I thought the man just wasn't going to go down, then there was a sharp twang followed by a dull thud. The biker twitched, before collapsing into a pile on the ground with a crunch.

I practically collapsed in relief when he went down. It was only then that I noticed the dart sticking out of his back.

"… _Oh_ …" I muttered quietly, slowly turning around and staring upwards. I had only a second to pull the bugs around me as a costume.

The figure jumped down from the rooftops and landed in almost slow motion. I saw the hooded mask slowly turn to look between the debris, the burning buildings, and the bodies littering the alleyway. She kept her crossbow close, pausing for nearly ten seconds before finally speaking.

" _What the hell is going on here?!_ " Shadow Stalker demanded.

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **Happy Easter :)**


	17. Evolution 04

**Evolution 3.04**

Her crossbow twitched at every movement. Her whole body was tense – something about her was vaguely animalistic, like a predator ready to strike at any moment. The last time I had seen Shadow Stalker, it had been in the mall after the Bakuda bombings, when I had punched Emma and she had taken me down hard. It hadn't been the best first impression.

Admittedly, then Shadow Stalker would have seen a random person who had just launched an unprovoked assault on a girl, but her response at the time still seemed more aggressive than warranted. At the time, something about her had just stunk of, well, a bully, while I had been weak little Taylor Hebert with a concussion.

I could only hope the situation was different this time around.

I wasn't wearing my costume – just jeans and a long sleeved shirt, but there were so many insects crawling all over my face it was hard to breathe. It was disgusting, but there was nothing for it. I didn't have a mask, and I needed to try and keep my identity. I had to keep my eyes closed, but I still had plenty of bugs to act as my vision. The last thing I wanted was for Shadow Stalker to recognise me as that girl from the mall.

"What the hell is going on here?" Shadow Stalker demanded again, not lowering her crossbow. Around us, the hypnotised goons were still rolling on the floor in pain.

My breathing was still wheezy. I dropped the shotgun after a pause, unsure how to reply. _Fuck, right now_ _Alec is barely standing up straight and Lisa looks like she's got severe concussion_ , I thought with a gulp. _I'm still moving, but Shadow Stalker can phase straight through whatever bugs I throw at her_. _She's a trained Ward with powers ideal for this type of situation, while we're barely holding ourselves together_.

If she wanted to, Shadow Stalker might be able to quite easily take us all down, even without any backup.

 _Still, she_ hadn't _taken us down_ , I told myself, taking a deep breath. She wasn't attacking straight away. That had to mean something.

I glanced at Lisa concernedly, checking her pulse. Her eyes looked distinctly unfocused. Lisa had been trying to recruit Shadow Stalker…

"Are you fucking deaf?" Shadow Stalker roared, stepping forward aggressively. " _What the fuck is happening?!_ "

My brain went dumb as I tried to think of something to say. It didn't look good when a Ward just dropped down on you apparently beating several cops and civilians senseless. All of the possible excuses seemed to fly flat, and my mouth just stuttered.

Right now, our lives depended on convincing this very angry and possibly psychotic superhero to help us.

… Lisa normally handled situations like this.

I gulped in panic. Lisa was in no state to work her magic. I had to focus on my swarm just to calm down. My breathing calmed as suddenly my conscious spread out among the bugs.

 _Now think… What would Tattletale do in a situation like this?_

I met Shadow Stalker's gaze head on. My head was still a black blob of bugs, but then I reshaped the flies to form a large Cheshire grin in front of my face. "…Well, it's about time you got here!" I shouted cheerfully. "Honestly, what was the holdup? You know what, never mind – let's just get going already."

Even under the hood, I imagined I could see the hero gape. Alec's eyes bulged, but I just turned my back on the crossbow, and motioned for him to follow.

At any second, I imagined Shadow Stalker would shoot. My heart was pounding like a drum. I felt almost delirious with panic. The adrenaline and fear together was nearly euphoric. _Damn, is this what Lisa feels like all the time?_

"What?" Shadow Stalker bellowed. "What are you talking abo–"

"Look around!" I shouted, using my swarm to amplify my voice just slightly. I turned to walk backwards as I motioned to the burning building. "The fire is lighting the street up like a bloody bonfire! Now, then do you want to want to stand around talking, or do you want to get moving before the _others_ show up?"

She paused, I turned around and again and kept on strolling. I barely made it five steps before suddenly, in a swirling shadow, she was in front of me. I didn't even resist as Shadow Stalker pushed me backwards roughly against the wall, slamming her crossbow into the swirling mass of bugs around my head. I felt the pinprick of the bolt against my chin, while spiders crawled down her glove. It certainly didn't feel like a tranquiliser bolt.

Shadow Stalker didn't ask any questions. She just _snarled_.

I fought back the panic and forced an exasperated sigh. "You want to know what's going on? Fine," I said finally. "Hi! I'm Skitter!" I waved my hand. "That's Tattletale, that's Regent…" Alec blinked, and smiled hesitantly. Both Lisa's and Alec's faces were already uncovered. Nothing for it. "… and this the most extreme job interview of your life."

Shadow Stalker hesitated. She was angry, but also confused. Good. Keep her off-balance. "Job interview?!" She demanded.

"Yep," I said, bringing back the Cheshire smile of insects. "You want a place with the Undersiders? All you've got to do is keep us alive until sunrise and it's yours."

"And why the hell would I want to join your team?"

"Didn't Tattletale go through this with you already? I thought she gave you a list."

"I could just take you in right now."

"You could," I said challengingly. Can't back down now. "But they still won't appreciate you for it."

Just for a second, I was sure I felt the crossbow waver, yet her grip stayed firm.

At the other end of the street, I felt footsteps marching towards us. The street was coming alive. The riots had found us.

 _Fuck, no time. Let's just go for broke_. "Look, this isn't a sales pitch," I said finally. "You either want to be with us, or you don't, and I reckon you've already made that decision. Therefore, you've got two choices: you either help us, or you arrest us. Now, then if you're going to help us – great, brilliant, it'll be worth it – and if you're not… well, we've got be _alive_ to be arrested, and there's a hell of a lot people on their way to kill us. Either way, it's in your best interests to get us the fuck away from here as soon as possible."

I held my breath for several long seconds. God, it was painful not being able to see her face. Lisa was good at what she did – she had already given Shadow Stalker the recruitment pitch online, and Lisa seemed to think she'd taken the bait. I could only hope it was enough…

Finally, Shadow Stalker relented and stepped back. "Fine," she snapped. "What happens now?"

There were people converging from all directions. A burning street, lots of screaming, and a huge cloud of bugs tended to draw a lot of attention. All of the riots were coming this way.

Then, there was a bloodcurdling scream in the distance. My bugs felt a figure pounce over the rooftops in a single stride. My heart raced. _Fuck, he had ran out of victims and was circling back around_ …

"Now?" I gulped. "Now we run."

I sprinted without a pause, grabbing Alec and Lisa and dragging them with me. Lisa nearly stumbled, but Alec and I practically dragged her across. Shadow Stalker paused, and then started running after us.

At the other side of the street, I heard Cutthroat growl as he singled out another target. His hoodie was tattered, I could see bloody splotches of burns across his face and body, and he was bleeding, but he didn't care. He completely ignored all of the wounded people and focused straight on us. He wanted the chase, the hunt. He dropped from the rooftops and landed fluidly on all four legs without breaking stride.

I had a brief mental image of a tiger chasing down its prey.

"Run faster!" I bellowed, but Shadow Stalker was already overtaking me. _Damn, she's a fast sprinter_.

Still, Cutthroat was on four legs instead of two, leaping with every bound. He was faster than us all. My bugs swarmed to try and stop him, but it was like he didn't even feel it.

He covered the distance at speeds that would make put an Olympic athlete to shame. A hundred metres. Fifty metres. Then twenty. Then five…

He pounced.

Despite myself, I screamed.

 _He's too far gone to differentiate friend or foe_ , I realised. I didn't have the bugs to stop him.

Without warning, Shadow Stalker was suddenly there, phasing out of shadow form as she shoulder-barged him in mid-air. He was knocked towards the wall, but then jumped off the surface fluidly to swipe at her with invisible claws. Shadow Stalker reacted beautifully, transforming into shadow form to phase through his swipe, before rematerializing to shoot him in the back with her crossbow.

The tranquiliser dart stabbed into his back dead on. Cutthroat didn't even slow down. _He's too berserk to go down that easily_ , I realised. He wasn't really super-strong, but without pain or restraint Cutthroat could push himself further and longer than any human could match. Even Shadow Stalker was caught off-guard as he lunged at her ravenously.

"…Seventy five percent…" I heard Lisa mutter dazedly, her eyes unfocused and swaying uncertainly. Cutthroat could lower the dial quickly after he was restrained or calmed down, but so long as there were people around to kill…

" _Go!_ " Shadow Stalker bellowed, meeting Cutthroat head on. She flickered between shadow and solid form between every slash, wielding her crossbow like a club. Alec was already running away with Lisa, while I paused just to watch the fight with wide eyes.

For a second, their movements seemed to blur together in haze of hacking and slashing. Something about them both seemed to mesh together almost instinctively. The way one lunged and the other parried, like…

 _Two animals in a cage_ , I thought suddenly, clambering to my feet. _Different, but also very similar._ Like a tiger and a black panther, perhaps _._

Strangely, I got the impression that both animals were enjoying the fight.

I pulled the bugs around me like a storm filling the air. Thousands, millions, of flies and wasps filling everywhere as I ran away. My swarm was back in force again, pulling it around as I burst out of the alleyway.

And into the middle of a mob crowding up the street. There were hundreds people with torches and weapons tearing up the road. The riots had found me.

 _No time for subtly. Everyone already knows where I am_.

Mass crowd control it was, then.

I didn't stop running. Around me, the whole street looked like something out of the apocalypse. One of the plagues of Egypt, maybe.

Two hundred people set upon by an unyielding swarm of insects.

It was absolute pandemonium.

The whole street turned black with bugs.

I felt gunshots around me while men squirmed in panic, thrashing uselessly against the black clouds of insects. I focused on the rioters with Molotov cocktails first, going straight for the eyes and mouth, taking them down as fast as possible with the full force of my insects.

I caught up with Alec and Lisa quickly, grabbing them by the shoulders as I practically pushed them through the mass of bugs.

I paused only to grab a balaclava from one of the rioters as he rolled around the pavement in agony. I wasn't even using my eyes as I ran, but the insects just guided me on autopilot. I covered my face with the thick fabric mask anyways, more instinctively than anything.

My mind was reaching out, pouring through every building, trying desperately just to find some place to hide and recover.

When I felt the two pickup trucks tearing down from both ends of the street, almost mowing down anyone who stood in their way, I realised that hiding wasn't going to be an option. Both trucks pulled to a halt at either side of the street, and there were armoured men with guns piling out.

Between the riots and fires, of course it would be enough of a scene to draw attention.

The Teeth had found us. They had been hunting me from the start. At first they tried to draw me out. As soon as I came out of hiding, they reacted fast.

"SKITTER!" A voice roared, bellowing from the rooftop of a nearby apartment block. Instantly, I picked up on a figure sprinting over the rooftops, four stories up.

Then, suddenly, there were four figures running along the roof. Another step, and there were sixteen figures heading towards the ledge. By the fourth step, there were sixty four bodies, all shambling and crashing into each other. Within seconds, there were more than I could even count, and all of them were knocking each other towards the edge…

Spree really did multiply _that_ quickly.

My knees went weak as suddenly there was a veritable tidal wave of bodies falling from the rooftops across the street. I saw a whole stream of bodies topple without hesitation from above. Each one was just as real and as heavy as a fully grown man splattering onto the pavement. There were so many falling it was a sight to behold.

Hundreds of clones of Spree crashed to the pavement with dull thuds, one after another into the pile crushed the ones below. Most of them died on impact. A few of them were still alive, shambling upwards like zombies, but they barely had the brain power to even move coordinate their legs.

Instead, Spree was just dropping his clones like they were stones, dropping so many he could bury the whole street and anyone beneath him.

My eyes bulged as suddenly the pile of flailing bodies just kept on growing higher as a ridiculous number of clones kept on pouring from above. There were people screaming and running for their lives. I didn't blame them.

The pile of bodies just kept on growing, threatening to topple…

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…!" Alec groaned, gasping for breath weakly, as the clones started to topple and slide over each other. It was a like a zombie movie except with even less coordination.

"SKITTER!" Spree screamed from the rooftops, laughing victoriously as more and rapid fire clones just kept on appearing and dropping. "WE'VE GOT YOU NOW, SKITTER!"

The other members of the Teeth were barricading either side of the street, armed with automatic weapons as the tidal wave of clones threatened to crush everything.

Between bugs, failing bodies and angry mobs, it was pure and utter pandemonium.

Apart from the halo of burning buildings, the night sky was absolutely pitch black.

"How fast can you run?" I asked Alec with a terrified gulp.

"Not fast enough," he squeaked, still staring at the waterfall of falling bodies.

"Try anyways."

I threw my swarm even wider, providing cover for us as we ran. The whole mob was practically clambering over itself to get away. For the first time, I was glad that we weren't in costume. The Teeth had no way of identifying us between the horde of looters. We were just three more figures in a panicked crowd.

People were running mad, but the biggest stream was heading straight down the street, to where the Teeth were trying to set up a barricade. They all had their high-tech guns, but they were hesitating. Between the screaming and the insects, there was no coordination left. Through my bugs, I felt Hemorrhagia, standing on top of her truck as the flood of panicked rioters charged towards her.

"Don't let them pass!" She was bellowing. At the front of the mob I felt men trip and scream to the floor as she used her hemokinesis to try and stop the crowd. There were too many though – it was a mob, there was no control left. "They're in here, don't let any of them escape!"

Her men were wavering, though. They had their guns, but they weren't opening fire on a huge crowd of people. Every second felt like a dangerous. _This could work_ , I thought in panic. _We stay with the crowd, get past the Teeth. They couldn't stop everyone. We just need to get away and hide_ …

Alec, Lisa and I were sprinting along as well towards the back, trying to keep pace even as heavy set men barrelled past us, bumping and knocked madly. Anyone who fell got trampled.

I had at least had my bugs to guide me. Even Alec was using powers to trip up anyone who threatened to barge into us. But Lisa looked absolutely crazed in panic and disorientation, even with Alec and I on each arm, trying to drag her through.

"…Taylor…" I heard Lisa pant weakly, so quietly only it was inaudible to anyone who wasn't listening with bugs. "…Isn't going to… don't use your… his scream…"

She was trying to say something. I barely had enough concentration left to decipher the words. All around me, people were screaming and barrelling into each other, but…

 _Think about the Teeth_. Spree was on top of the roof, dropping clones, while Hemorrhagia was trying to man the barricade. _That only left_ …

Without warning, my head split into two. The sound was so intense, like nails scraping down the inside of my skull. Next to me, I felt Alec drop to the floor as well, while a heavy boot collided with my ankle as the mob behind trampled straight through.

The pain was intense. The sound cut through to the bone. Suddenly, I went blind as I couldn't sense the insects anymore.

After the few seconds it took for my head to clear, I heard Hemorrhagia's voice shout victoriously. "There they are!"

 _Oh crap._

Alec, Lisa and I had been the only people in the mob who reacted to that sound.

Foggily, my vision cleared, and behind me I felt a lumbering black shape charging towards us like a bear. It was a beast, pitch black in the night, but with sharp claws, teeth and as large as a car. His body wasn't just black, it was more wispy, like it was made of a shadow. Something about it reminded me of the worst werewolf movie I had ever seen.

Animos. The villain who could transform into a beast with a power nullifying scream.

He had singled us out.

The Teeth let the rest of the mob through the barricade easily. In the five seconds of Animos' scream, my bugs must have relented their attack. I was still gasping for breath and cradling my head weakly while around me the mob seemed to clear. Our one shot at slipping away in the crowd had been lost.

My body sagged. I could still feel Animos' scream echoing in my head, disrupting my powers. My bugs weren't responding powers. Around me, the Teeth were taking formation, slamming through the mob with the guns. Animos was still in his beast form, lumbering towards us with a husky growl.

We were caught, defenceless. There were armed men with automatic guns in front, and a parahuman werewolf and a tidal wave of clones blocking off behind.

My heart raced. Lisa collapsed to the floor. Alec wasn't looking too good either.

The only thing I could see was Hemorrhagia's vicious smile as she levelled her gun towards us.

"Last person standing, Skitter," she jeered with a vicious grin.

I gulped and shook my head. "You don't have to do this!" I shouted. I needed a plan, just some way… "We can come to a deal!"

Her gun buzzed to life. It hummed with a deadly electric whirr. "Negotiations failed."

… It was so weird. I knew I was facing instant death in the next few seconds, but strangely my head seemed crystal clear.

The only thing I think was… what would Tattletale do in this situation?

My mouth was blurting out even before I knew what I was saying. " _Did you know that Spree is cheating on you?!_ "

It was a total shot in the dark. The only thing I had to go on was the way during the meeting Hemorrhagia had followed Spree's lead, the way she had kept close to him. If they were in a relationship, then there was a chance…

It worked. Hemorrhagia's aim faltered. " _What?!_ "

Oh thank fucking god for insecure partners.

Even if she was practicality unconscious on the floor, for a second I could have sworn that Lisa was grinning.

"You heard me!" I shouted, giving my bugs time to move. I could have black widows on her in less than a minute. I needed more time. Keep it vague. "Come on, girl, you're not stupid. You know _exactly_ who Spree is creeping around with."

Hemorrhagia shook her head slowly. The other Teeth were looking uncertain. "No," she muttered. "… You're lying, you bitch. He would never do that."

"Oh come on!" I retorted, forcing myself to stay calm. Just a bit more. "Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

 _Please don't make me spell it out for you_.

She raised her gun threateningly. "Then give me a name!" Hemorrhagia demanded.

I faltered fractionally. Lisa was still on the floor, but she was coughing. _No_ , I realised, _not coughing, she was wheezing_. Lisa was trying to say something. I couldn't make out the word, but it was a short word…

My head raced. In about five seconds, the moment would be over and she would shoot…

I took another shot in the dark.

"Animos!" I screamed suddenly. "Spree is cheating on you with _Animos_! Oh, _that's_ got to burn!"

The whole street was met with silence. Hemorrhagia blinked.

Behind me, in his beast form, Animos growled furiously. I could barely make out the words through the beastly snarl. " _YOU BITCH!_ " He roared, before charging at us. Hemorrhagia didn't shoot, I noticed.

My bugs attacked at once. Suddenly, there was a ball of wasps slamming into Animos' eyes, while Hemmoragia and her men got the full force of insects biting and stinging mercilessly. I pushed Alec to his feet, but even when blind Animos was still lumbering towards us, his huge monster body crashing straight towards us…

"Oi!" A voice bellowed, from the opposing rooftop, on top of a convenience store. Shadow Stalker was there, flitting around in her shadow form. She wasn't looking so good either; her robes were shredded into tatters, but there was only a second to glimpse her as she skidded to a halt on the edge. "Got this for you!"

The snarl was the only warning. Cutthroat was still chasing after Shadow Stalker. She stopped by the ledge, and he pounced at her. She transformed into her shadow form and he went leaping straight through in ball of madness and bloodlust. Suddenly, there was a berserk little animal jumping through the air.

I dragged Alec to the floor just in time. Cutthroat went pouncing overhead and collided straight with Animos behind us.

The two animals landed in a ball of fury and teeth. Animos was much bigger and stronger than Cutthroat. Cutthroat didn't seem to care as he tore through Animos with invisible claws and teeth.

I gave the bugs order the order to attack full force again. The swarm dived onto the Teeth relentlessly. Hemorrhagia tried to balk out orders, but then Shadow Stalker was sailing down onto her, crossbow in hand. Hemorrhagia tried to use her blood control, but Shadow Stalker had turned into shadow before she had a chance.

Then, there were two crossbow bolts slamming straight into Hemorrhagia's stomach.

 _Damn she's good_.

I watched Shadow Stalker with awe through my bugs as I kicked a Teeth member to the ground. Shadow Stalker moved absolutely fluidly – I could barely tell when she changed to shadow form, she was just a rippling black shape tearing through the group. Hemorrhagia crumpled to the ground, and then Shadow Stalker was on others with absolute precision and brutality, before anyone could even fire their guns.

Between my bugs sending them into a craze and the black shadow knocking the down, the Teeth really didn't stand a chance.

Behind me, Animos was still wrestling with Cutthroat, but he was barely holding on. Cutthroat was weaker, more injured, smaller and more vulnerable, yet Animos was still being torn apart under the pure ferocity. I couldn't even keep track of the movements as Cutthroat lunged and snapped.

Then, Animos' transformation started to wear off. Cutthroat's didn't. It was over very quickly after that.

I was already running. The Teeth were in chaos, even while Spree tried to gather reinforcements and sprint after us.

Cutthroat took one glance at the enormous pile of Spree's clones and, I swear, actually _grinned_.

Within seconds, Cutthroat was slicing his way through the clones like a cat surrounded by mice.

It took Shadow Stalker and I to pull Lisa off the ground. " _What the hell is that thing?_ " Shadow Stalker demanded, glancing at Cutthroat.

I gulped. "His name's Dylan," I admitted. Behind me, Cutthroat was already charging headfirst into the clones. "… He has an affinity for ripping off limbs."

Spree was panicking now, screaming in rage and fear. Both Hemorrhagia and Animos were down, and he was left with a dozen scared unpowered men that were being assaulted with bugs, while a ravenous animal tore through his army. The Spree clones were left trying to bury Cutthroat under the weight of so many bodies.

There was no time to look back. We were already running, or hobbling in Alec's case, trying to get away down the street. We were passed the barricade, nearly…

"SHOOT THEM!" Spree roared, dragging up his gun. " _SHOOT THEM!_ "

His Tinker-tech gun blared into life. The other Teeth members were recovering as well. I barely had enough warning to drag Lisa to one side, pushing them behind an alleyway.

And suddenly the guns shot straight through the wall. I screamed as the brick dissolved into molten hot slabs.

The impact was phenomenal.

It was the first time I had ever seen the Teeth's Tinker-tech guns at work. The blasts were incredible and they just kept on coming at machine gun rate. I saw glimpse red-hot beams of energy exploding from the nozzles.

 _The Teeth have automatic plasma cannons_ , I thought dumbly. _How the hell had the Teeth gotten a hold of_ automatic fucking plasma cannons _?!_

We were behind cover, but that wasn't stopping them. They were shooting straight through the building, tearing the whole street apart. They were shooting blind, but the guns were so fast and so powerful it barely even mattered.

" _RUN!_ " I screamed, as the impacts tore up around me. The noise was so deafening I couldn't even think.

All I could do was run.

No amount of insects could stand against weapons like _that_.

We sprinted. Even Lisa managed to stagger down the alleyway as everything exploded around us. They were firing through three whole buildings, and there was still enough force that any lucky shot could kill us. I could feel the Teeth chasing after us, trying to get a clear shot.

I suddenly realised that this alleyway was very straight. As soon as they turned the corner it would be a killing range…

They were running and shouting. I was running and screaming. If we didn't reach the other side first…

… Just a bit further…

My head was so dazed that I didn't even realise the person strolling up alleyway until I nearly crashed into him. I felt Shadow Stalker gasp in shock.

"Oh bloody hell…" She gasped weakly. I was panting for breath as I was left staring upwards into the iron mask of Diluvium.

The fight had drawn quite a crowd. Somehow, I knew the party was only just getting started.

Diluvium was here now, staring down at the four of us with his arms folded. The Teeth were just turning around the corner…

I blinked under the balaclava. Shadow Stalker clutched her crossbow tightly, her whole body tense. Enemies were coming from behind and Diluvium was blocking the path. My hands were shaking. "Twelve hours," I said dumbly, staring at Diluvium. "… You gave us twelve hours to make a decision."

There was a pause. He never a said word. Instead, Diluvium just nodded quietly.

He was a very literal person.

The Teeth turned the corner. I heard the hum of the plasma guns first. They were fifty metres away, but it was a straight shot. I dived to the ground in vain, but then suddenly Diluvium was standing in front, his arms outstretched like a human shield.

I could only glimpse the blinding light of the plasma blasts as burned towards him, and then… it just vanished.

Diluvium was chuckling quietly, slowly walking forward. The Teeth didn't stop firing their weapons.

The stray blasts disintegrated chunks of stone, but any blast that hit Diluvium just disappeared. I blinked in shock, and then I saw a shimmer around Diluvium's skin rippling like water.

 _His skin is a portal to another dimension_ , I thought suddenly. _He's absorbing the blasts_ …

Diluvium's presence was the only thing saving our lives.

I couldn't see her face, but Shadow Stalker looked just as shocked as anyone. We were all left panting, exhausted on the ground, while the Teeth get on crowding over at the entrance to the alley, firing madly until the smoke was thick in the air. Spree was there, forming more clones, each with their own guns, to shoot dumbly in a straight line.

I could even look at it. The continuous blasts of light were so intense they hurt my eyes. I couldn't even make out the individual shots, instead all of the blasts just blurred into one red-hot stream of blinding energy tearing down the alleyway.

But Diluvium wasn't even hurrying. He just casually strolled forward, arms opens, absorbing any blast that hit him.

 _No wonder he's shirtless_ , I thought quietly, staring Diluvium quietly. Even his jeans looked pretty much wrecked already. Diluvium's power clearly didn't lend itself well to wearing clothes.

Blast after blast of hyper-powerful plasma bolts exploded into his skin, but he didn't look even slightly concerned. If anything, he seemed amused by their attempt.

It took me a few seconds to realise why. "… Oh no…" I muttered under my breath. "… You're giving him ammo…"

Slowly, Diluvium raised his hand and pointed it at the Teeth.

Anything that hit him didn't disappear, it was _stored_.

Half a dozen bolts of red-orange energy exploded outwards from Diluvium's palm. Unlike the Teeth, he never missed. The plasma bolts hit the Teeth with pinpoint precision, each blast mowing through the group mercilessly. There wasn't even time for them scream.

Diluvium was shooting them with their own bullets.

 _Anything he absorbs keeps its momentum_ , I realised slowly. Diluvium simply moved it into his own personal dimension, and then released it in the complete opposite direction.

The hail of plasma bolts was merciless. It took _seconds_ for Diluvium to shred through Spree. The original went down somewhere in the midst of all the other smoking bodies, and then suddenly all of those clones vanished without a trace.

In the adjacent street, I sensed Cutthroat snarling with frustration as all of the clones he was killing just disappeared. He dropped to four legs to resume the hunt, and I quickly formed a bug decoy to try and lead him away.

Diluvium was still strolling away, stepping over the scorch marks smearing the ground. He paused to pick up the plasma guns, and then with a ripple the weapons just seemed to disappear into his arm.

He turned around to look at us without a word, and slowly motioned to his watch as he walked away.

I didn't know how long of that twelve hour deadline we had left. I just suddenly knew it wasn't going to be long enough.

Everything went from absolutely life-or-death panic to still silence in a second. I was so exhausted I could barely even move. We were all just left collapsed onto the ground, staring into the night sky. Alec had to throw up into the corner. Lisa looked comatose. I kept the balaclava on – it was hard to breathe through the stuffy fabric, but I was too exhausted to even pull it off.

Shadow Stalker was panting for breath next to me. There was a long pause as we stared at each other.

"… Huh," she said finally, struggling to breath. Her costume looked like it had been through a shredder after her fight with Cutthroat. She was probably bleeding, but it was hard to tell under the black. She definitely wore thick layers, I couldn't even see any skin underneath.

I cleared my throat. "… Thanks for the save back there," I said in a wheezy breath.

She grunted. "You owe me a million dollars for that one," Shadow Stalker said after a brief pause.

"Deal," I replied instantly. "… There's another two million in it if you can do one like that again."

She gave a short grunt that was _almost_ a chuckle. Shadow Stalker collapsed onto her back, cradling her wrist with a wince. "So this is what you guys do?" She said finally. "Lots of running around and fighting much stronger guys?"

"… It does happen more and more often," I admitted. "You want in?"

I barely even realised I made the decision. I knew Grue would grumble, but I already agreed with Lisa. Shadow Stalker had proven herself a badass fighting machine in the last half hour alone. She was ruthless, precise and unwavering – exactly the sort of mentality the Wards would neglect, but one that _we_ could use. I wanted her on the team.

There was a long pause. "I want a three million dollar signing on bonus," she said eventually.

I was way too exhausted to argue. "Done."

"You triple my Wards salary. All of perks as well – weapons, ammo, armour, all that shit."

"Happily."

She raised her fingers, counting off them one by one. "New identity for me, my family stays out of it, and I get a say in the business you're running. Full shares. I stay with the Wards until everything is sorted, and then I defect on _my_ terms."

"Done and done."

"… And I want a motorbike."

"Of course."

She glanced at the tatters of her cape and hood. Most capes didn't actually go for wearing capes – they tended to get in the way too often – but Shadow Stalker pulled off the long flowing black cape easily.

"… And _you're_ replacing the cape," she said finally, unclipping the ruined fabric and letting it drop. Without the hood, I noticed she had long, dark sleek hair curled into a ribbon. She had nice hair.

"Fine." I nodded with a shrug. "There's a kid's costume store just around the corner, anyways."

She turned to stare at me. There was a quiet pause.

Five seconds later, and we both broke down into chuckles. I couldn't help it – with the adrenaline rushing through me I just collapsed into giggles.

We were both lying on our backs on the pavement, exhausted and injured, but giggling like schoolchildren.

Around us, the alleyway had been turned into slush from plasma weapons, there were bodies littering the street, and the buildings were still on fire.

I knew I had to move, but it was just too hard to gather up the strength.

Shadow Stalker's phone buzzed quietly as she checked it. "You have to report in?"

She shook her head, clicking the buttons. "… We're spread too thin right now – all the others are firefighting somewhere else. Whole city's gone to hell and PRT is running around like a headless chicken."

"Well, aren't you happy you're switching sides," I said dryly. Behind me, Alec was having a lot of problems standing up straight. Shadow Stalker just grunted affirmative, still staring at the screen.

"Oh…" She gasped, struggling to catch her breath. "… Alexandria is incoming _here_. She's coming after Diluvium and she's coming hard."

I would have sworn. I was all out of swear words. Instead, all that came out was a dull groan. "We need to get out of here," I said firmly, dragging myself up. My whole body was aching. "Alexandria fights Diluvium, and how much of the surrounding area is going down with them? The place is going to flood. We need to leave."

Shadow Stalker nodded. "Where too?"

I paused. "You know what's a good place to weather a flood?"

"Endbringer shelters," she agreed.

"Hell yeah," I nodded. "Get us safely to the nearest Endbringer shelter. We settle down, wait to regroup."

"The Endbringer shelters are already packed with civilians," Shadow Stalker warned.

I knew. I could only hope my dad was one of them. _He must have reached the nearest shelter in time_ , I thought uncomfortably. The thought that anything might have happened to him made my stomach churn. Still, there was nothing I could do help my father now. I didn't even have a clue where he was. I had to keep my priorities clear.

"Yeah," I nodded, my voice weary. "… We just to lie low for a while. Catch our breath, call for reinforcements, then we can see about damage reduction…"

My voice trailed off as Shadow Stalker's phone started to beep. Even under her full face mask, I reckoned I could see her frown. There were a few seconds of silence. I was just about to ask why, when quietly, she turned the screen around towards me.

"Um…" she muttered. "You should see this…"

I frowned, focusing on the small screen. At first, it was hard to make anything out through the fuzzy dark video and crackling audio. A recording from a handheld camera, I realised slowly.

"Priority alert," Shadow Stalker explained, her voice low as the video came into focus. "It just went out to the PRT and local news. High priority."

The phone's audio was cracking. "… _you read_ –" A voice buzzed. _"…–s this thing on?_ "

There was a quiet mutter from behind the sky. The screen was still dark, but slowly I realised that it wasn't just black, it was a cloudy night sky in poor quality video. I could barely make out the setting, somewhere outside? It looked high up, I could see faint streetlights in the distance below at the bottom corner of the screen.

" – _ello Brockton Bay City!_ " The voice was much sharper, cutting through the static and background hum. I recognised it instantly.

Pan was suddenly on the video, holding the camera so his face filled up the video. I could see his smirk as he cackled. " _Calling all Brockton Bay! You having a good night, my people?_ "

He was laughing furiously. _Pan's nose is bleeding_ , I realised suddenly. His face was swollen and battered. He was trying to hide it underneath his scarf, but it looked like his nose had just been broken very recently.

I glanced up at Shadow Stalker curiously, but she just motioned back to the screen. Pan was dancing around. He was definitely up high – on top of some building somewhere, but I couldn't make out any details.

" _Tonight is a good night!_ " He screamed. " _Tonight is a night for **rev-o-lu-tion**!_ " He chanted the word victoriously, and there was guffawing laughter in the background. " _Tonight is a night where all you sheep either learn to be wolves or get slaughtered, bitches! Tonight we will not be_ oppressed _!_ "

He was moving around wildly, becoming weightless so he could cartwheel in mid-air, all the while keeping the camera firmly on his face. He was still cackling with laughter.

 _God damn I want to slap that face_ , I thought, hands clenching tightly. Still, I didn't like the sound of his laughter.

"… _And any revolution_ …!" Pan announced. "… _A revolution needs an_ execution _! Cut the head off the old regime!_ " His laughter paused slightly, but the smirk in his eyes didn't. "… _And who better to die tonight than the queen bitch herself! Tonight, I want all my fellow revolutionaries to take the head of Skitter herself! I want that bitch dead!_ "

There were cheers in the background. My hands clenched even tighter. _Pan was just an obnoxious brat_ , I thought furiously. He couldn't find me, he couldn't kill me.

Still, that smirk in his eyes, it troubled me. It was mocking almost, like…

On the recording, his voice continued. "… _However_ …!" Pan paused, with a dramatic sigh. " _If Skitter_ doesn't _die tonight, well then, I guess, for the sake of the revolution, I suppose someone else needs to take her place…_ "

He finally turned the camera around, the screen shaking madly. As soon as the image came into focus, my eyes widened in shock. There was a figure floating in the air, tethered to the building by a flimsy piece of string, costume flapping in the wind. Even despite the small screen and poor quality, I would have recognised that costume anywhere.

Panacea.

Amy Dallon was left floating helplessly, at least seven stories up, while Pan laughed madly.

As soon as Pan's power wore off, she would go crashing to the ground. Suddenly, I recognised what that background noise was – someone was screaming for their life. I could see Amy thrashing in the wind, struggling with absolutely no leverage. It was hard to tell in the blurry video, but it looked like she was bleeding too.

… _Oh_ …

I felt the dread running through my blood. Underneath her mask, Shadow Stalker's eyes were hard. Alec and Lisa were both peering over my shoulder, their faces pale.

I suddenly realised why the video was high priority. It wasn't just dumb Lost Boys propaganda. It was a ransom demand.

Pan was still laughing, keeping the camera on the floating body. " _So here's the deal! This one goes out to all you heroes and corporate tools as well – you might as well make yourself useful!_ " He roared. "Somebody _dies tonight! Either Skitter dies, or little miss Panacea – Amy Dallon, healer extraordinaire – goes on the advanced no-parachute skydiver experience!_ "

The screams were getting louder. " _You have until dawn!_ " Pan bellowed, wind rushing around him. He was in the air suddenly. " _Make the choice! Anyone who doesn't want the healer to go crashing down better start looking for the queen bitch pronto! Somebody dies – who do you want it to be?_ "

I barely heard the final words just before Pan stopped the video. It ended on an extreme close up of his face, with all the arrogance that expression could muster.

"… _And Skitter_ …" Pan hissed, through the crackly audio. "… **_you get what you give_** _…!_ "

The screen went blank. Nobody said a word. I blinked repeatedly.

 _It was a bounty_ , I realised stupidly. _He just put a bounty of one Amy Dallon on my head_ …

...

All around me, it was like I could feel the city going mad.


	18. Evolution 05

**Evolution 3.05**

We dragged Lisa and Alec into an abandoned clothing store, looted and vandalised so badly there was barely anything left. My head was spinning as I mentally scouted out the surroundings. There were helicopters buzzing in the sky and fires raging around us.

It was roughly half past midnight, but the night had never seemed so alive.

About three blocks away, I sensed Diluvium standing off against a whole PRT response team. They were trying negotiate. It wasn't going well.

"Update?" I asked with a grimace, my voice taught.

Shadow Stalker shook her head. "None. They've got city wide alerts – even called in Dragon to run surveillance – but there's no sign of the Lost Boys."

"And what the hell's Alexandria's doing?" I demanded.

"Evacuating the area and preparing for the Diluvium attack, from the looks of things. They're calling for all Wards to try and set up a perimeter." She paused, before adding. "A perimeter _we're_ inside, by the way."

" _Diluvium_?!" I asked angrily. "Alexandria's going after Diluvium? And what, she's just going to let Pan _murder Amy_?!"

"Fuck no," Shadow Stalker scoffed. "But what the hell is she supposed to do? Pan threatened to murder Amy in seven hours – Diluvium has threatened to _destroy the city_ in…" She checked her phone dramatically. "… oh, _fifteen minutes_. She's got to take care of him first, but she still has absolutely every resource she can spare out looking for the laughing bastard."

 _Every resource she could spare_ , I thought bitterly. I'd seen the state of the PRT – that didn't mean very much at this point. They had too few resources left.

"She's got a point," Alec admitted, coughing quietly as he winced in pain. He was clutching his sides gingerly. "Now how about _we_ think about running while we still can?"

Three blocks away, I sensed through my bugs as the PRT team tried to negotiate with Diluvium in calm, soothing tones. They were standing in the upper area of the Boardwalk, facing the ocean, in the parking lot of a deserted shopping centre. I suddenly realised how absolutely terrified those PRT officers were.

 _Of course_ , I thought suddenly, _Alexandria must have sent them in as a sacrificial unit_. She needed something to try and hold Diluvium in a certain spot while they evacuated around him. Those men were just being used as feeble distractions. Mind, Diluvium barely even seemed interested in them. His eyes were fixated on his watch, almost counting down.

 _I need a plan_. _And I need one very, very quickly_.

My lips pursed as I propped Lisa up by the wall. She had been slipping in and out consciousness for a while now. She had a severe concussion, she needed a hospital, but right now I desperately needed her powers too.

I refused to let Amy die. Pan had only dragged her into this because of me, and there was no way in hell I would let him kill her just out of dumb spite. The very thought made my blood burn.

It wasn't anger. I was way past anger. I felt like I had gone straight through anger and rage and circled around to something resembling clear, coherent thought.

Now, it was just pure, ice-cold _fury_. The very thought of Pan's laugh – that obnoxious idiotic dumb laugh! – made every inch of my body tremble.

 _He dared?! He dared to hang Amy over a building and then he dared to_ laugh _?!_

With all the fury choking up my body, it was a wonder I wasn't slamming my fist the walls.

 _Amy isn't going to do die tonight_ , I thought firmly, taking a deep breath. _I refuse_.

"… Lisa…" I said gently, shaking her shoulder insistently. It was only after a few seconds that I realised using her real name in front of Shadow Stalker might not be a good idea, but that barely seemed important anymore. I nudged her harder. "… Lisa, I'm really sorry to do this, but we really need to know where Pan is and you're the only who can tell us."

She groaned, stirring weakly. "… Lisa!" I said more insistently. "Where's Pan?"

I saw her eyelids flutter. She took a deep breath, face crinkling in pain. "… I don't know," she said finally, after a long pause.

"What, but–"

"I'm not psychic!" Lisa snapped, wincing slightly. "I've got nothing to work with here. I've no idea where he is."

I could have screamed. Five feet away, Alec coughed, still clutching his side. "Well, please tell me there's another plan here?"

I paused, glancing at Shadow Stalker. "What are the chances Alexandria's going to find Pan in time?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Do you have any idea how fast that guy moves when he's floating? He could be anywhere – not even Alexandria can keep up when he's bouncing around the place."

"What? _Alexandria_ can't catch him?"

"She's tried a few times over the last few days," Shadow Stalker admitted. "I've never seen her so fucking _pissed off_ before. Don't get me wrong, the guy isn't strong, he's just really, really annoying."

I frowned. Shadow Stalker shrugged and explained. "He turns himself massless and he just _bounces_. You can't catch him, because every time you even touch him he just bounces away faster. The harder you hit him, the faster he goes. The best Alexandria could do last time was just swat him away over the Atlantic with a telephone pole. He can't change direction in the air, so he just kept on flying over towards Europe. Apparently it took him twelve hours to find something to kick off and start heading back this way."

I took a deep breath. "So basically Amy could be absolutely anywhere by now, and no one has any way of finding her?"

She didn't reply. My breathing was hoarse. Almost absentmindedly, I focused on my bugs just to try and calm down. _Think, Taylor, think_ …

Suspicion dawned. "Lisa," I said after a moment, slapping her cheek softly to wake her up again. She moaned. "I need you to tell me about Pan's powers. You said he was C rank, why?"

She kept her eyes closed. I wasn't even sure if she fell unconscious again. "… he _is_ C rank," she muttered finally. "He can make things weightless; the effect lasts for about two seconds, and he can't use it on any object heavier than himself. He can only apply it through his hands, and it's something he has to concentrate on. He can't control it very well either…"

I frowned, shaking my head. "No, that's not right. He made Black Dog weightless, and he must have been twice Pan's weight – and that lasted way longer than two seconds. Hell, he used it to make his whole team fly – it's how they get around."

She shook her head. "That wasn't him."

I blinked. It took me a few seconds for it to click in place. "Shadow," I said finally. "The Trump. He did something with Pan's powers – what?"

"I don't know!" Lisa snapped, wincing again. Fuck her powers were already maxed out and the concussion wasn't helping. I bit my lip under my mask, thinking carefully. So Shadow boosted Pan's powers somehow? Removed the mass limitation, extended the period of effect...?

Shadow Stalker stared at me for a while. "What's the plan?" She demanded.

I hesitated briefly. "I've got an idea," I said, as I pulled Lisa's phone out of her pocket. Probably not a good idea, but, well…

I hit the button on speed dial and put the mobile to my mask. Shadow Stalker stared at me suspiciously. The call was answer on the second ring.

"Tattletale," Coil's voice answered smoothly.

"Guess again," I said coldly.

He didn't even pause. "Skitter. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

My hands clenched. "Where are you?" I demanded.

There was a moment of silence. "I thought I made it very clear that I would be sitting out this particular affair."

"There are people dying on the streets and you're sitting in your hideout with your mercenaries. You could be _helping_."

There was a slight bristle in his voice. "My men are not riot police. I do not have any territory, and I will not waste resources in a matter I can't efficiently contribute to," Coil said stiffly. "Rather, this is a situation that I expected _your_ team handle."

The accusation stung. "Where are they?" I said after a brief pause. "Grue and Bitch. Have you had any contact with them?"

"I have not." There was a pause. "I have given the Undersiders a great deal of resources and leniency. With that, comes the _expectation_ they can manage their own affairs."

 _Don't let him turn this around_ , I thought furiously. It bugged me that he claimed to want to control the city, but at the end of the day he wasn't even willing to leave his hole to fight for it. I knew I was being rude, but I was too exhausted and angry to care.

"Get in touch with Grue and Bitch. Find out where they are, send reinforcements if they need them. Pass the message over that we need help on the corner of 8th Avenue, upper Boardwalk."

There was a long pause. "Very well." Coil really didn't sound very happy. On my list of priorities at the moment, that wasn't one of them.

"And one more thing," I said sharply. "I need a contact number. Give me a number I can ring to get in touch with the Lost Boys."

Shadow Stalker and Lisa looked at me in surprise. Coil paused. "… And what makes you think I can provide that?"

"Because you've got _everybody's_ number," I snapped. "You know fine well that you can provide it, and they're teenagers – of course they've got a mobile with them. Find me a way just to talk to Pan and maybe we can end this."

"Skitter," Coil said slowly. His voice was calm, collected, almost like a schoolteacher. That just made me even more irritated. "I am well aware of Pan's threat against your life, and it is absolutely _none of your concern_. If Pan does kills Panacea to get to try to get you, then all he will succeed in doing is bringing the full force of the PRT upon _himself_. On himself – not on you. You are not responsible for the actions of the madman, and nor should you try to be."

My hands clenched into fists. "Rather…" Coil continued. "You should use this time to go to ground, collect yourself, gather your forces and then consider a retaliation at a better opportunity. You have no need to risk your life – and the lives of your comrades – in a conflict _that needn't concern you_."

The thoughts of all the replies I could have chosen flickered through my head. It took great force of will to keep myself polite. "Please don't tell me what to do," I said stiffly. "Just get me that number."

There was a long, very long, moment of silence. I almost thought he wasn't going to reply. Finally, Coil spoke. "I will give you the number," he said eventually. "Please consider your next move very carefully."

" _Consider yours_." I hung up the phone.

There was a moment of silence in the store. "Skitter, what are you going to do?" Lisa asked quietly. She wasn't unconscious anymore.

"What I need to do," I said simply.

The text message from Coil came through with a beep. No words, just an eight digit number. I hit the dial button without a second thought. I had to ring it twice before the phone was finally answered.

"… Who's there?" A voice answered roughly. There was static in the background.

"Hi Pan," I said with venomous sweetness. " _Queen Bitch_ here."

There was a long pause, followed by a chuckle. "Skitter!" He squealed, bursting out in laughter. "My favourite un-corporate tool! How the fucking hell did you get this number? I only fucking bought the phone three hours ago!"

"Lucky guess," I snarled.

"You tracing us? Don't bother. I could be over the Atlantic before you even get a chance to pull the stick out from up your ass. Maybe I'll even drop the little bitch during the journey."

My hands tightened. "Is Amy Dallon still alive?"

"Are _you_?" Pan said mockingly. "Whoops, you are. That doesn't look so good for little Amy then."

My hands clenched so hard I half-expected to break the skin. My voice was practically feral.

"If you want me…" I said slowly. "…then why just don't you grow a fucking pair and come get me yourself? I'm at the corner of 8th Avenue, upper Boardwalk, there'll be a big cloud pointing the way so not even someone as dense as you could miss it."

There was a long moment of hesitation. "… Are you setting a trap for me, Queen Bitch?" Pan said finally.

"You brave enough to find out?" I taunted, before hanging up the phone.

Suddenly, the abandoned store was silent. The quiet felt deafening. Three streets away, I was only vaguely of the PRT officers starting to panic as Diluvium started walking towards them. They all guns but they seemed afraid to use them.

Next to me, Shadow Stalker folded her arms. Alec tilted his head.

"… That's the plan?" she said doubtfully.

"Yep. _I'm_ the one he wants. I've got stay right here and act as bait," I said, trying to keep my voice firm.

"And what if he doesn't show up?"

"He'll show," I said bluntly. "He'll show because he's a stupid, obnoxious little brat and it would be too much of a slap to his precious ego if he thought anyone might view him as _scared_. He'll show – he'll have to."

"But he's not going to bring a hostage along with him though, is he?" Shadow Stalker said doubtfully. "He's got no reason to make it that easy."

"No. But that means he'll either have to stash Amy somewhere secure, or leave one of his gang behind to watch her." My eyes were firm. This was the only play. "Either way, we have a chance. He shows up to kill me, we capture him, we force him to tell us where he left Amy, and then we finish this."

I couldn't read Shadow Stalker's expression. Alec looked doubtful. "And he _will_ have to bring Shadow along with him," I noted. "Pan's too weak by himself, he needs Shadow."

"… And he'll bring the girl, Wendy Wind, as well," Lisa said slowly. I hadn't even been sure if she was conscious or not. She did look slightly better, her face had more colour after a bit of rest, but her eyes still seemed dazed. "Pan can't change direction in the air by himself. The only way they can actually get anywhere usefully is by working together – he flies, she steers."

I thought back to the little girl with pigtails that had been with the Lost Boys. "Wendy Wind," I repeated. "She's an aerokinetic, right? How powerful is she?"

"Very weak," Lisa said with a gulp. Her voice was still low. "Not really an aerokinetic, actually – she's just a telekinetic, but, well… she has the power to push things, not very flexibly either; only in a single direction. She can push anything, but with _very_ limited force, yet it's persistent and the effect builds up gradually. It feels like a very firm gust of wind. She can't properly hurt anyone with it, but she could knock you over."

"Right." I nodded. "So that's three members of the Lost Boys, but the only one who actually has any sort of offensive power is Pan, and even he is manageable. I can take them."

Lisa's face twisted. "… Don't underestimate them. He'll be ready for you too, and I'm not sure what els–"

I flinched suddenly as, without warning, a dozen of my insects surrounding Diluvium died instantly. I only got a vague glance of a tidal wave of water five feet high before everything went blank. Three blocks away, the PRT vehicles were washed away into sea. _Fuck. It's starting_.

They all heard the vague muffle in the distance. I made the decision instantly. "You've got to get out of here," I said firmly. I turned to Shadow Stalker. "You! Get them out of here – get them to the shelters. I'll handle Pan myself."

Shadow Stalker's body tensed in shock. "What? _Fuck no_ , I want a piece –"

"That's your job!" I ordered. God, I wasn't used to ordering people around, but there was just so much adrenaline through me that it came naturally this time. "Lisa's got a concussion, and Alec's barely standing up. I'm the bait, I need to be here – so _you've_ got to make sure they're safe."

Alec frowned. "Geez, thanks for using our real names, Tay–"

I swatted him over the head roughly before he could finish. Outside, there was another crash of waves, louder this time. The whole building rumbled faintly.

No time to be here. I had to prepare. With barely a tremble of nerves, I was rushing to the door. Shadow Stalker looked like she was about to object, but I didn't hear it. "GO!" I bellowed. "Get moving already!"

The bugs were already covering me as I charged out into the street. I had been standing still for a while now; I managed to gather up more of a swarm. I even managed to draw in one of my bug caches nearby, with enough of my special breeds. I had giant insects, wasps, and centipedes all under my control again.

At once, I sent a huge spike of flies shooting into the sky like a pillar, marking out where I was, while I ordered my spiders and wasps to take formation on top of the nearby buildings. Anything that couldn't move so fast had to be in position early. _I need to get traps ready_ , I thought frantically. _Pan is a flyer and a fast one, I had to prepare for rapid aerial assault_ …

Almost absentmindedly, I ordered a group of nearby ants and wasps to shuffle through the burning husk of what used to be our hideout. Most of it was still on fire, but the explosion had thrown a good deal of debris out on the street. Through my bug sense, I picked up a familiar shape and instantly the insects formed together to create a convoy to lift the object off the ground. It was fairly light, but it was still struggle.

Still, about a minute later a group of wasps and bees dropped my mask straight into my hand before flying off. My spider silk mask had survived the explosion surprising well. There was even the headset left over from the meeting still attached in the mask.

One of the eye covers had completely scorched away, but it was still a better option than the balaclava. It wasn't a full costume, but I still felt infinitely better about this plan as soon as I put it on. With my mask on, I felt more like Skitter again.

I took a deep breath as I braced myself. The still night air felt tense. Pan would have to come, I told myself, and I had to be ready for him. Alexandria couldn't catch Pan - yet I could, I just needed different tactics. Brute strength and speed was useless against him, but I had an army at my command to catch him out of the air. I could trap him.

 _I need nets_ , I ordered quietly as all my spiders started to spin silk in preparation. _Lots and lots of nets_.

Behind me, I felt Shadow Stalker, Alec and Lisa hotwire a car around the other street. I could only hope they managed to get to safety fast enough.

Nearby, I felt Diluvium almost idly knock the final car into the ocean, while letting the men run away as if they were ants that weren't worth him time. It was less pointless destruction, and more pure boredom – like he was standing around just waiting for something.

About five seconds later, I realised what.

I didn't even catch a glimpse of the shape crashing down towards him like a missile. I just felt the sonic boom.

With a deafening crack, Alexandria was there, punching Diluvium so hard he went flying backwards and crashing all the way straight through the entire shopping centre. Alexandria didn't even pause on the ground for a second before she was in the air again.

For a second, I was absolutely sure that that punch should have turned Diluvium into gore splattering the wall, but then Alexandria struck downwards at the rubble again. She flickered out of the sky so fast I could barely process it, the ground trembled, and instantly the shockwave caused the ground to tremble.

The shockwave collided with a pure explosion of so much water that the instant tidal wave tore giant chunks of rubble off the ground. A figure came crashing backwards out of the explosion, shooting through the air like a bullet.

Alexandria was there again. _Goddamn she's fast_. Even before Diluvium hit collided with the ground again, she was already behind him, swinging a massive oak tree, torn straight out of the earth roots and all, with one hand like a major league batter lining up for a shot.

The trunk of the tree splintered into pieces as it collided. The air exploded in streams of ridiculously high pressure water. The splashes soaked me even from where I was standing.

I blinked, and there was a speeding shape rocketing straight down the street in front of me. Before I could even flinch, the building a hundred yards away exploded into rubble.

Just like that, Alexandria's and Diluvium's battle went from three blocks away to only one.

It hadn't been raining, but suddenly absolutely everything that I could see looked completely soaked.

I was almost paralysed in fear, but I knew that I really, really had to get much further away.

Diluvium's was panting for breath as he clambered out of the rubble, but he didn't even look hurt. His mask was even intact.

 _How's that possible?_ I thought with shock. _He never even had a Brute rating – even a single punch from_ Alexandria _of all people should be enough to snap his totally human spine_.

Alexandria paused, hesitating fifty feet up in mid-air, eyes narrowed as she stared at him. Diluvium just limped out of the rubble and stood in the street, his arms folded tauntingly, _challenging_ her to go in for another shot.

He was standing in an ankle deep pool of water already.

… _It's because her punches aren't_ actually _hitting_ , I realised slowly. _He's ejecting high-pressure streams of water from his body to cushion the blows. Of course, it still sends him flying backwards from the momentum, but that doesn't matter to him because_ then _he's only impacting against air and rubble rather than a fist_.

He's simply storing the matter around him so he doesn't a feel a thing each time he crashes into something. Anything inorganic he could just absorb.

Alexandria tossed what remained of the tree stump over her shoulder like it was a twig. It landed with a dull thump. I was left hiding behind a corner, my eyes wide.

Their battle had lasted for about twelve seconds and Alexandria had already been throwing him around like a ragdoll. Despite how stubborn he was making it, I would still say that Alexandria should win the fight – after all, Diluvium simply couldn't hurt her, and, sooner or later, she would succeed in hurting him.

Still, in those twelve seconds they had already demolished a shopping centre as well as half a city street. I could see the challenge in Diluvium's pose, it said clearly: _how far do you want to take this?_

Alexandria just had to calculate how much collateral damage was worth taking Diluvium down for good.

I felt the shockwave take my breath away. The water splattered everywhere so quickly I was already drenched to the bone.

Clearly, Alexandria calculated at least a little bit more.

 _Run_ , I thought with a moment of panic. The water everywhere was killing my bugs by the droves. _Fuck, I need to get out of here_.

There was no other thought as I turned around and sprinted for my life. Behind me, a shower of wood and brick scattered across the street, followed by a gush of water flooding down the road. Bugs couldn't get close or keep up, I just ran.

I could feel every impact. I paused at the adjacent street, gasping for breath while Alexandria dragged Diluvium straight through a steady path of absolute destruction. They were fighting in the middle of ditch that used to be grocery store. Diluvium was being knocked everywhere, water flying off him in all directions, while Alexandria punched so fast she was just blur from every direction. She couldn't even touch Diluvium, not with the high-pressure stream of water pushing him backwards constantly, swirling so fast it was like he was surrounded in a maelstrom.

She had changed tactics. No more high-powered aerial assaults. Instead, she dropped out of the sky and came in up close, using her fists and pressing forward like the world's most powerful boxer, while randomly using immense speed to appear behind Diluvium and attack from behind.

She was applying steady pressure, all the while constantly trying to take him by surprise. Keep him in a single spot, limit the damage. Trying to get up close. If she could even just grab a hold of his skin, then she could end it very quickly.

Still, absolutely every move she made was countered by streams of water more furious than any high-pressure jet. It was like there was a water cannon bursting from every inch of his skin.

I watched in awe, even as Alexandria kept on going, punch after punch with dull consistency. At first I was confused. _Was she trying to wear Diluvium out, make him run out of water?_

It took me a while before I finally realised. The weakness the Alexandria was trying to exploit, the reason why Diluvium was forced to be so defensive. He couldn't eject and absorb at the same time.

His powers acted like a valve. They could only flow one way or another. Either into his personal storage dimension or out of it. Not both.

There was a pattern to it. Diluvium needed to constantly alternate between ejecting and absorbing. Attack and defend, but alternating so fast I could barely keep up. If he took a blow while he was ejecting, he couldn't absorb it. But if he didn't constantly keep ejecting, then there was nothing to stop her punches from hitting. If he didn't keep absorbing too, though, then the recoil from what he was ejecting would hurt him as well. Instead, he had to flicker between the two states perfectly to avoid damage.

I could see it the water storming around them. There was outwash when he ejected, and then there was backwash when he absorbed. It turned the ditch into a pure maelstrom of high power water tearing through pure concrete.

Alexandria could see the pattern too. She was increasing her intensity, trying to slip through it. Trying to align her punches with when he was absorbing, forcing him to stagger his pattern. Diluvium was struggling, forced to react. His water was becoming more frenzied, less controlled…

I barely managed to make out Alexandria's words through all the noise and the pitifully few bugs surrounding them. "You can't beat me," she said bluntly, without pause in her attack. "I've fought _Leviathan_. You are nothing compared to him."

And just like that, for the first time, I saw Diluvium's composure crack.

He roared in fury.

The resulting tidal wave was so large it sent Alexandria flying backwards. Houses were ripped off their foundations. I saw the waves crest so high they towered over the rooftops, before they crashed down onto ground with so much force it was like an earthquake. Suddenly, where there used to be a city street, there was nothing but flooded debris.

I had to dive into an alleyway just as the flood rushed past. If I had been even a little bit slower I would have been washed away.

Diluvium was still screaming. He was roaring like a madman as he shot forward. He was suddenly ejecting intense streams of water from his feet, using the jets of water to fire himself at Alexandria at blinding fast speeds.

He slammed his fist towards her, and it exploded in a concentrated blast of water so heavy it could have torn through concrete. Alexandria was sent crumpling backwards, with a grunt. Diluvium didn't stop. He was shooting forward, bringing down focused blasts of water so intense they cracked like thunder, all the while screaming in berserk rage.

Diluvium was completely naked now. He had even lost his iron mask. Not that it made a difference; his whole body was just a spinning maelstrom of gushing water.

Alexandria was being forced backwards. The thought that she might actually _lose_ sent shivers down my spine.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was rushing to help her.

The flies and moths bombarded towards Diluvium. Mostly weak stuff, I had to keep my strong insects in reserve while I probed for weakness. There weren't many. I couldn't even get a bug onto his skin through all the water, but I still had to do something.

Diluvium grunted in surprise as suddenly four bug decoys materialised surrounding him. I was hidden nearly two hundred feet away, behind a mostly undamaged building, but I could feel everything through my swarm. I was hidden, but Alexandria glanced in my direction as suddenly my swarm busted into their fight.

Still, she never attacked me. There was a moment of quiet agreement as Alexandria and I both targeted Diluvium. _Or maybe she just didn't think I was worth the effort_.

If Diluvium was shocked by the sudden shadowy figures surrounding him, that lasted about five seconds before he flicked his wrist and suddenly all bug decoys were destroyed by a furious jet of water.

 _Damn, I'm going to need new tactics here_ , I thought with a grimace. Diluvium was too much of a Shaker for a swarm to be that effective against him.

Alexandria tried to charge in again, shooting over the pavement so fast the air rushed. Diluvium hit her with a jet of water bursting out of his chest so high-pressured that water _boiled_. They collided with furious blows in a mammoth splash.

Alexandria was much stronger, but Diluvium just had so much more momentum behind him. Every fist was like a tsunami. The mass of water even pushed Alexandria backwards, while Diluvium shot forward furiously. There were jets of water from his legs, propelling him forwards at speeds like a bullet.

I knew instantly that my bugs were practicality useless. Still, the swarm persevered. The insects could barely last seconds in the barrage of water, but they still buzzed everywhere. They swarming around Alexandria like a cloud. Anything to obscure her movements, to distract Diluvium with bug decoys at a crucial time. If he didn't react to Alexandria in time because he couldn't see the punch coming through the swarm, then maybe that was all I needed. Even just a little distraction was all that I needed…

There was no other choice. I couldn't get anything even to his skin. As far as I could see, Diluvium never even needed to breathe – maybe he was just surviving on oxygen which he had already stored in his personal dimension. _I need_ something, I thought furiously, _maybe spider silk around him, just something that can last long enough against the water…?_

An apartment complex exploded as a wave of water sent Alexandria shooting backwards. Bricks and rubble splashed into the sky. Diluvium roared like an animal as Alexandria went flying backwards. Then, he turned towards my direction. I didn't react in time.

He couldn't have known exactly where I was hiding, but that didn't even matter considering the area of effect that he worked at. I was too busy directing my swarm, too distracted to run.

And there wasn't even time to scream as suddenly the intense flood tore the building in front of me off its foundations.

The pure force of broken bricks and water hit me like a truck.

I gasped. My body flailed as the roaring tide took me.

For a second, everything went black in panic.

… The roaring. My lungs screamed. Crashing, something heavy hitting my chest, but the force of water just washing me away…

… Couldn't stop it, just…

I couldn't even process that one moment of pure horror as the flood tore everything out from underneath you.

The wave crested and slammed me roughly against the middle of the road, a whole block away. I was barely in range of Diluvium anymore. The water dragged me along the rough surface, scraping skin away. I knew was in pain, but I could barely even feel it through the absolute screaming of my lungs. I coughed madly, feeling the seawater in my mouth, while around me the drains flooded with water.

The whole street was like a river. The water was rushing away quickly, but it was still knee deep in the middle of the road.

Around me, there were barely any buildings still standing. My swarm was scattered. It took me a few frantic seconds to find my bearings in the unfamiliar location.

 _That could have been a lot worse_ , I realised frantically, staring at a torn up tree trunk lying across the street. _If I had been caught by any of the debris_ …

I was lucky that the flood only just washed me onto the street. A flood like that could have easily killed me if I had been in a different position.

I had to focus. My clothes were absolutely drenched, my hair was all over the place. I was scraped and battered all over, but I had to focus on Diluvium. He was still screaming in bloody rage, but I sensed Alexandria backing off suddenly. She was shouting into her earpiece. I only managed to catch a brief snippet through my bugs.

"… at's the emergency?!" Alexandria was shouting. "I _almost_ have him – he's wasting water and running out of pressure…"

 _Wait_ , I thought with shock, my head still spinning. _Had Alexandria been_ trying _to send Diluvium berserk?_ I suddenly realised that Diluvium's supply had to be limited; the more aggressive he became, the more he had to drain his personal storage dimension for his heavier attacks. In any drawn out fight, Diluvium would just become weaker and weaker. The must have been Alexandria's game-plan from the beginning; attempt to end it quickly at first, but if that failed then just bleed him out.

My brain was still a mess. I could barely scrape myself off the floor with the water gushing around my ankles. Alexandria was retreating. Something else must have come up. Something important.

There was a crackle in my mask. I nearly jumped with the sound. My headset, still left over from the villain gathering. It was water-damaged, but surprisingly still functional.

"…ylor…" I could barely make out Lisa's voice through all the static. "…Taylor…!"

"… Lisa?" I gasped weakly, still wheezing for breath.

"… Taylor can… read me?" I wasn't sure whether the microphone was still working. Lisa's voice was urgent. She was trying to say something. "… out of there… have to… the Lost Boys…"

"The Lost Boys?" _That's right – Pan_. I had to capture Pan. _Where the fuck is he?_ I thought confusedly.

It took a while to process it. Lisa was phoning. Her voice is urgent. _She's trying to warn me about something_ , I realised, feeling a suddenly weight drop my gut. "Lisa, what's happening?" I demanded. "Where's Pan?"

"…of there… quickly…" Lisa's voice was almost pure static. "… Taylor, he's not attacking _you_ …"

Her voice was shrill. Through the static, I was sure I could hear screaming in the background. There was a sudden crash on the other side of the call. Lisa was screaming something, but I only caught two words.

"… _the freeway_ …!" Lisa screamed.

There was more static and indistinguishable loud noises. I could feel my body trembling suddenly. Something was wrong, I could just feel it. _The freeway?_ I thought confusedly. My mind flickered back to the news report I had glimpsed. The freeway out of Brockton Bay – the main route out of the city. With the riots, people had been fleeing the city in masses. Of course, then there had been a riot on the freeway itself, near the barricades and blocking the road, leaving a lot of civilians jammed in traffic.

The road was blocked, and the whole city congested. Lots of civilians unable to leave, and hundreds, thousands, of cars trapped, bumper to bumper, on the road.

… _But that was on the very edge of town_ , I thought with growing panic. The riots were at their worst in the middle of city, particularly towards the Boardwalk. _What the hell is going on over there?_

There was the sound of screaming in the background. Instinctively, I glanced upwards at the sky. A first I saw nothing but pitch black clouds, but then slowly I started to make out the shapes…

Just like that, I realised how much worse my night was going to become.

There were vehicles floating massless in the sky. Hundreds of tiny pinpricks littering the sky, but they getting closer. From the ground, it looked almost like they were drifting and spinning idly.

I blinked. It took a while, but then I felt the rage pour through me. My body was shaking as I realised what was happening. "… oh no…" I gasped weakly. My hands clenched into fists. "… You bastard…!"

I heard the laughter first. Suddenly, there was a figure shooting through the air, kicking off the floating shapes. He was laughing. The bastard was _laughing_.

" _Hello there, Queen Bitch!_ " Pan howled from the air, as he clutched a floating car, a yellow Volvo, and spun it easily with one hand. "… _Now how's_ this _for a party?!_ "

The rage was so intense I could barely breathe. There were more and more cars littering the sky. Hundreds of them, hovering over the city, floating towards me.

"You bastard!" I screamed furiously, charging into the street. "YOU BASTARD!"

Pan must have spotted me, he was laughing as he swung the car in his hand around like in zero gravity, throwing it towards me. He shot backwards, the Volvo shot forward. It looked like it was floating and spinning idly in the air, but there was only a second to realise how fast it was actually going.

Then, Pan's weightless effect on the car wore off. Momentum returned. Gravity took over. The Volvo dropped from the sky and suddenly there was two tonnes of solid metal and fuel crashing out of the sky.

It landed a hundred yards away from me, with so much force the ground trembled. I had to dive to the ground as metal debris and glass went shaking everywhere.

In the sky, more and more cars were starting to drop as Pan's effect wore off.

Suddenly, the city was raining cars.

Tons of metal was crashing back to the earth, littering everywhere…

I gasped as my bug sense picked up briefly on the insects entering my range. I heard screaming. Lots and lots of screaming.

Not all of the vehicles were empty. Some of them still had people in there when Pan threw them into the sky. I felt all the screaming cut off quickly, one by one.

My knees went weak as I felt dozens of panicked voices dropped to their deaths.

"… _YOU BASTARD!_ " I roared at the top of my lungs. My body was trembling.

I heard his laughter. Pan was still _laughing_ as he dropped the cars towards me like stones.

Pan must have just run up the road of the freeway, turning absolutely every vehicle he could reach into floating projectiles with a single touch.

The force of a van crashing into the wrecked building next to me sent me splashing face-first into a puddle. A wheel cracked off the axle and bounced off, coming so close it nearly took my head off. Pan was still in the sky, kicking off the floating objects, still outside of my range.

 _He isn't even going to close to me_ , I realised with shock, _he's just planning on using gravity to drop cars on me from above_.

… _No_ , I thought numbly, _he's planning on dropping cars on_ everyone.

"COME ON, QUEEN BITCH!" Pan roared. "The party's on so let's _play!_ "

Run. There was absolutely nothing I could do but run.

A street away, Diluvium roared as he demolished two houses in a row. There cars dropping everywhere. I glimpsed Alexandria lunging through the sky at Pan furiously, but he was still laughing.

The strongest person in the world was absolutely meaningless to the guy with zero mass. Pan just bounced straight off her. Alexandria couldn't catch him.

Two cars crashed towards me. My legs were pounding furiously through the puddles as I ran. The debris flung everywhere. I had never even imagined the pure of force of a solid vehicle crashing out of the sky.

In my ear, I could hear Lisa screaming. "… Turn around… back… we've got to go help…"

I kicked straight up onto the next road and kept on running, all the while staring at the mass of vehicles drifting overhead. _They are everywhere_ , I thought frantically. _I need cover, I need to get underground somehow_ …

There was a crash in front of me. Diluvium just broke through two houses in front of me, blocking the road with a flood of water. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction without a second thought.

My heart pounded. I was all alone, faced with a berserk maniac trying to tear the city apart and another, even more insane, psychotic maniac raining metal from the sky blindly just to kill me.

No help, no backup.

 _Just run_.

Two cars crashed down in front of me, blocking off the path. I felt a young woman's voice screaming briefly from inside one of them. The thought left me cold, but it was like there was no room for feeling anymore.

 _I need a plan, I need a plan, I need a plan_ …

I dropped into long range mode suddenly, without even a pause. My mind was racing as the bug topography of my surrounding shot into view. I had only a moment to try and skim over everything. I couldn't stop Diluvium, but I had to find a way of stopping Pan…

Suddenly, my bug sense caught a figure, standing on the roof of a multi-story parking lot half a mile away. It was a girl, with her hands in the air.

 _Wendy Wind_ , I realised suddenly. No wonder all of the floating cars seemed to be drifting towards my direction. She was using her powers to push the weightless vehicles over in my way. Her powers might be weak, but they worked continuously and they had range.

Wendy Wind and Shadow were the two helpless members of the Lost Boys. If I took her down, then Pan wouldn't be able to aim anything he made weightless. If I took him down, then Pan's powers would be back to their regular weak abilities.

They had to be my targets. They were the ones I had to beat first.

"Hello there, bitch!" A voice jeered suddenly, I gasped to see Pan drop out of the sky and stop on the building opposite me. "… You wanted me here, and here I am!"

There was no witty retort from me. Only a feral growl as I gathered a swarm of bugs and threw them at him with all the ferocity I could muster.

The swarm hit him from all sides. For a second, I thought I had him. Then my bug feedback went mad as I sensed every bug that hit his body start to spin madly. There were bugs flailing around the air as the swarm bounced off him uselessly.

 _He's turning my bugs weightless_ , I thought with dread. Weightless bugs couldn't fly. They couldn't even stop a weightless person. A single gnat had the strength to stop him, but that didn't matter because Pan could make that gnat weightless too. He just pushed through the swarm without resistance, in the exact same way he pushed through air.

 _To stop him, I need more than that. Piling on bugs won' t work, I need a way to actually tie him down_ …

Pan laughed as he cartwheeled backwards, kicking off the building with insane speed. He landed headfirst against a wall the street over, and just bounced without impact before dropping to the ground. He paused to pick up a huge chunk of rubble with one hand, holding the solid stone as if it were just a giant balloon, before jumping into the air weightless again.

"Death to the Queen Bitch!" He screamed, before throwing the rubble at me from above. It shouldn't have been possible for anyone to throw like that. He threw the rubble weakly, but it still shot off at blinding fast speeds. It was just a massless object that couldn't hurt anyone, but then at some point during the throw it became solid again and dropped straight towards my head.

I had to dive to the floor to avoid the heavy chunk of stone crashing into the pavement. Pan was already bouncing around me, picking up more objects to throw. He was throwing high each time, so when gravity took over they would just drop onto me.

 _Come on_ , _Taylor_ , _think massless_. Realisation clicked.

Instantly, I threw up a swarm of flies as a barrier between me and him. A massless boulder shot towards me like a bullet, only to bounce weakly off a fly with barely an impact.

When an object was massless, a single insect could stop it. If I had a dome of bugs around me, he couldn't throw like that. Pan tutted in annoyance, before jumping up into the sky directly above me so he could drop a tree trunk on me from above instead.

The swarm could stop massless object, but it was useless against heavy ones. _It's all about that moment when the effect wears off and mass returns_ , I realised. When his power wears off, they turned from being useless but fast, to being very heavy and dangerous. I had to figure out how to fight against Pan's power very quickly.

I knew instinctively that I was at a disadvantage here. Clearly, Pan had already figured out how he could fight against mine.

I turned around and started running in the opposite direction, throwing the swarm around me like a cloak. Pan screamed, but he had already jumped and he was left floating in a straight line in the opposite direction. He was unable to turn around until he found a surface to bounce against.

Behind me, there was a sonic boom as Alexandria collided with Diluvium again. The hero was getting desperate. She had lost the nice, safe perimeter she had been fighting in before, and everything was going to hell. Now, the only chance she had left was just to take down the biggest threat as quickly as possible while there was still a city left.

"You're bad for this city!" Pan bellowed from above. "This city needs something more! This city needs a revolution! This city needs freedom!"

"You're killing people!" I shouted.

"Eggs and omelettes, Queen Bitch!" He screamed, sending a van spinning towards me. My bugs managed to knock it to the ground before the weightlessness wore off. "I'm trying to cure this place! Make something _better_! You? You're just the fucking _disease_!"

Pan was still chasing me, bouncing between the streets. There was no time to think about it as I ran, using my bugs like a shelter around me. The cars were still falling.

The other members of the Lost Boys had to be my priority. After that, I could get to Pan.

 _Oh boy, would I get him. I'm going to get you for Amy_ , I vowed furiously. _I'm going to get you for what you're doing to my city. I'm going to get you_.

My legs pounded. That laughter felt like it was drilling a hole in my skull. He was throwing more objects towards me, everything from solid metal dumpsters to huge chunks of rubble. All the while, the cars were still raining down everywhere, until there were metal husks littering the road.

My feet splashed through the puddles while the impacts crashed down from either side. I just had my bugs around to warn before the cars fell. The parking lot with Wendy Wind was getting closer.

There was a huge boom from behind me. Alexandria went flying backwards. I glimpsed Diluvium, but he wasn't using water anymore. Instead, he was just releasing explosions from his body and fists like a human bomb. He had stored pure impacts and explosions as well, using them to pulverise through the buildings with ease.

Diluvium roared as rubble and stone came shooting out of his body in furious, consistent blasts. There were flames scorching everything – it was a like a dozen bombs were being detonated one after another. Every explosion or impact Diluvium had ever walked through.

 _He's not just a walking flash-flood_ , I thought quietly. _He's a walking earthquake, inferno, landslide and flash-flood all rolled into one_.

Alexandria was left falling backwards. I didn't know what she was made of, but she was tough. I couldn't see any injuries, but her costume and cape was being shredded. She tried to recover, but then Diluvium was on her, arms wide as suddenly thick white foam exploded from his chest.

 _Containment foam_ , I realised suddenly. _PRT-issue containment foam_. Diluvium must have stored that as well. Anything you used on him, he just reused.

Alexandria was left buried out of sight under the mountain of foam. For any normal Brute, that would have been game over against the resistance-countering foam. Still, Alexandria bellowed, her muscles tensing, as she ripped her way through the foam. The foam was stronger than concrete, but she was still tearing through it with brute strength.

"… Get away quickly!" Lisa's voice was a buzz in my ear. "… rry…"

I jumped straight over the barrier and into the parking lot. Pan roared something at me – I was pretty sure I heard curse words – but I was now safely under cover. Pan's powers only really worked when I was out in the open – now that I had a solid roof over my head, he couldn't touch me. He clearly wasn't willing to put himself at risk by coming up close and trying.

For the first time, I collapsed into wheezy pants. My muscles were burning. I had just ran half a mile in less than five minutes. My whole body was shaking.

I could feel Wendy Wind on the top floor – she was with someone else, probably Shadow. I could have attacked with bugs, but I didn't have enough with me to be sure of taking her down quickly. Instead, I ordered my insects into position, while I tried to gather my breath.

Outside, the city was exploding. It barely looked like a city anymore – more like a warzone. There was a shudder as I felt something heavy topple out of the sky.

Pan was going for the helicopters now, I thought with a gulp. He was making them weightless and then throwing them to the ground. More deaths, more destruction. The thought just made me hollow.

Diluvium was still slamming against Alexandria, and she was struggling to even get to her feet between the containment foam and the explosions. Perhaps Diluvium really was running out of water – he was using it less and less now.

Instead, he had to use other matter he had stored, and his supply was limited. Limited, but still very large. His tank wasn't empty yet.

I felt Diluvium raise his hands as instantly automatic machine gun fire came shooting out of his palms. He was up close to Alexandria, and his aim was dead on. Every bullet hit her in the face, and her arms were still buried under containment foam, unable to block. Even if she was indestructible, she still screamed as all of those bullets collided into her head.

Diluvium roared, screaming wordlessly as suddenly more explosions shot out of him, focused and concentrated towards her. I glimpsed the plasma blasts from the Teeth's weapons shooting out of his forehead. It was so much force that even the containment foam disintegrated under it.

I saw Alexandria go down. She fell and she went down hard.

"Oh fuck…" I muttered quietly. Diluvium was the only one still standing and the only person who might have been able to stop him was down for the count.

I had just enough bugs near to Diluvium to form a decoy and project my voice. Diluvium never even seemed surprised when the flies formed an outline next to him.

" _Diluvium_ ," my bugs echoed. " _Don't do this_."

He didn't respond. Alexandria was down, and she wasn't moving. I could feel she was still breathing though. I had to find some way of covering her…

Diluvium never replied. He was wearing his mask and trousers again. He must have stored his clothing in his dimension when he was fighting, and brought it back on again when he was done.

" _We can negotiate here_ ," my bugs hissed. He was already walking away.

"Skitter," Diluvium said quietly. He was panting for breath. "There is nothing to negotiate about. The time limit is passed. I gave you all a chance, but you made your choice."

" _All you want is to beat Leviathan. So does everyone else. No one has to die_."

"No," he growled. "The beast survives because people are too scared to fight it properly. They do not want it dead like I do. They do not _feel_ the desire to kill it like I do. But all I have to do to make them feel it, is to make sure everyone is too scared to _not_ fight Leviathan to the death." He turned to face my bug swarm. "Examples must be made of those too cowardly to _commit to the cause_."

With a wave of his hand, a huge splash of water destroyed my bug swarm. Diluvium walked away.

I was left staring out over the streets. There was barely an intact building left in sight. Wrecks of cars littered absolutely everywhere. I knew I should have been shocked, or frightened, or panicked, or angry, but for a second, I just stared and there was only one thing I could think.

 _This is all my fault. I could've stopped this. I_ should've _stopped this_.

There was a heavy thud outside. Pan was circling the parking lot, still throwing absolutely everything heavy he could find to the ground. It was pointless destruction from him – like a little kid throwing a tantrum.

"…got to hur…" Lisa's voice was getting fractionally clearer. Was she getting closer? "Taylor _run_ – Diluvium's going to go berserk."

"Tell me something I don't know!" I snapped, breaking into a jog again. In the street, I felt Diluvium walking down the road, flexing his shoulders experimentally.

I think Lisa did hear me this time. "… There was a tornado warning out in the mid-west two weeks ago," Lisa said quietly.

I froze. Outside, I felt air around Diluvium start to waver and buzz. " _What?!_ "

"Nobody really heard about it, though…" Lisa explained. "… Because it didn't last very long…"

I slowly released why the air around Diluvium was flickering. I could hear the hiss in the air. Around him, cars started to shift slowly. _He's ejecting wind_ , I thought quietly. _Lots and lots of wind_ …

Outside, I saw the clouds in the sky starting to churn. I could the debris spinning in spirals. I couldn't even see Diluvium anymore through the haze, and my bugs were just reporting pure panic. The insects couldn't get a proper view.

I had to use my own eyes as I stared outwards and I saw the huge spiral rise into the air. The ground was shaking.

In the middle of my city, the tornado roared.

Diluvium was just a walking natural disaster.

" _Oh fucking hell_ …"


	19. Evolution 06

**Evolution 3.06**

 _My city is being blown apart_.

My eyes were wide as stared at the towering spiral of wind. The tornado roared like a beast, tearing through the street relentlessly. The sound shook me to the bones. I saw black clouds churning downwards. He was releasing so much air he was actually changing the whole weather.

Most of the street was already in ruins. I saw debris being flung across the city, while cars were dragged over the ground. Diluvium was already walking away, standing in the eye of the storm, constantly forcing the cyclone around him, while he walked further towards the centre of the city.

I knew those buildings. They were shop that I'd seen every day in the city, or houses that I past frequently. I could have sworn I'd even visited one or two of them. Even if I couldn't recognise them, I knew that they were _mine_. They were mine, and Diluvium was tearing them apart.

Diluvium was going all out. He'd taken down the only person who might have been able to stop him first. No, he had no reason to hold back anymore.

 _He's really going to it_ , I thought quietly. _He's really going to destroy the whole city_.

I stared out over the damaged houses and overthrown vehicles. There were people screaming.

… _Hell, maybe it's already done_.

My fists clenched.

 _No_ , I thought darkly. **_I refuse_**.

Around me, I could feel the cloud of insects starting to churn in anger.

Even this far away from Diluvium, the winds were absolutely ferocious. I was under cover, on the ground floor of a multi-story parking lot, but the wind was still hissing through the entire building. There were car alarms screeching. There was so much wind that most of my flying bugs were struggling, but I still had plenty of spiders and ants and the like.

Outside, I heard string of curse words being bellowed furiously. Pan was still trying to circle the building, but he was in trouble. There was so much wind and debris in the air he could barely cope, and he wasn't the best flyer even on a good day. He was screaming in fury, trying to hold onto the top of a streetlight as the wind threatened to pull him away.

He tried to jump off to reach the ground, but then the storm took him and I instantly felt him being swung away into the distance. He was screaming bloody murder as before flying straight over the building uncontrollably.

I would have smirked, but there was too much rage for that. Instead, my fists just tightened further.

My whole body was bruised. My whole muscles were aching. Half of my mask was scorched black, my clothes were filthy and ruined. The headset was still buzzing by my ear, but I couldn't hear Lisa's voice anymore – there was too much static. I had no reinforcements, no backup, there was just me.

Yet I still had a chance here.

I couldn't stop Diluvium – he was protected by gale force winds, my bugs couldn't get near. Still, the Lost Boys had to be my priority now. Pan was out of action, and that just left Wendy Wind and Shadow trapped, four floors above me, on top of the parking lot.

They were defenceless without Pan. _I take them down_ , I thought viciously, _make them tell me where Amy is, and then I can save her and rip Pan to shreds_.

The Lost Boys were the immediate threat. Rescuing Amy was the priority I had to focus on. After that, I could circle around and deal with Diluvium.

Sooner or later, Diluvium would empty his tank and he'd be left vulnerable. When the happened, my swarm would be waiting. Until then, I had to prioritise.

At once, the black swarm of bugs started to climb up the outside of the building, heading straight to the roof. They moved like the most coordinated, merciless army ever. The spiders had to weave webs to help drag the weaker climbers up through the wind, while they crawled over each other to form pillars of black, skittering shapes reaching the level above. The black masses ascended upwards from all sides of the parking lot, while an another swarm moved up the stairs, cutting off all escape.

I just grit my teeth and started limping towards the ramp in the carpark heading upwards. My whole body was stiff and aching, but I just focused on the swarm instead of the pain until I was staggering forward like a zombie.

Above me, I felt Wendy Wind screamed as she saw the black carpet of bugs ascend over the sides.

"Holy shit!" Her voice was very high-pitched. She seemed young, younger than me.

"Pan!" Shadow shouted. His voice was quieter, but still panicked. He had a radio in his hand. "She's found us, we're in trouble here!"

There was a sound of static that I couldn't make out through the gale of wind. Pan shouted something back in reply, but I only heard a brief snippet. "… _Can't… too much debris in the air_ …"

My heart pounded. Pan couldn't fly back to help his comrades with the tornado so close. He'd been swept away by the wind. Hell, I never even knew where he landed.

The bugs skirted towards them from all directions, unstoppably. Wendy Wind looked like she was totally freaking out, before Shadow grabbed her by the arm and bellowed, "Come on, we've got to run!"

He had to drag her backwards as they sprinted towards away from the swarm. If I had wasps or other fliers, they would never have outrun me. Instead, there was too much wind for those bugs, so I was left with spiders, beetles, centipedes, ants and other crawlers – and a human could outrun those easily.

Still, I knew instantly that they wouldn't get away. I had already blocked off every escape route with a veritable army of insects. I even had slugs, snails and worms bringing up the rear of the swarm, as useless as they were. They were not going to escape.

Shadow and Wendy burst through the door into the stairway, only to scream and reverse direction as they saw the swarm climbing up there as well. They ran back out to the roof, sprinting towards the other stairway on the opposite side of the building, despite the swarm closing in from all directions. The fastest of my spiders were already starting to latch out to them.

There were no fancy orders from me. I simply commanded my bugs to attack absolutely every patch of skin they could their pincers, mandibles or fangs into.

"Pan!" Shadow bellowed into his radio as he ran. "We're in trouble here!"

"I'm working on it!" Pan screamed, his voice crackling. He sounded very annoyed.

Wendy Wind was screaming as the insects started to dig into her ankles. The main mass of insects was still gaining on them. "Working on what exactly?!" Shadow demanded.

"Don't know yet!" Pan hissed. "But just hope that it's dramatic."

I was already on the third floor and ascending. My bugs were getting closer. Wendy and Shadow reached the opposite stairway, and my bugs weren't quite there in time to block them off. They sprinted into the building, yet there was there was already a swarm rising up the stairs. Wendy was almost hyperventilating in fear, while Shadow dragged her by the arm and pushed his way to the other side of the hallway. There was a door there, another room.

It was a storeroom at the back of parking lot, I realised. There were no windows in there, I hadn't picked up on it straight away. It was just a dark corner used for cleaning supplies and other junk. Still, there was only one exit. Wendy and Shadow had just run into a dead-end, and my bugs were already converging onto them.

"Wendy!" Shadow screamed. She looked close to tears, he had to shake her furiously to snap her out of it. "Wendy, do your thing!"

The bugs at the front of the swarm were pouring through doorway, less than three meters away Wendy looked pale for a moment, before she gulped and raised her hands.

Suddenly, I felt every single spider jerk slightly.

 _Damnit_ , I cursed. _She's using her powers_.

Wendy Wind's telekinetic push was really weak. It was so weak, in fact, that it felt like even a single large spider could _almost_ overcome the force that was suddenly pushing it backwards. Still, apparently Wendy Wind didn't have a limit on the number and scale of objects she could target at once.

In an instant, it was like every single bug trying to crawl through the doorway was shoved backwards by a force so light it didn't even particularly hurt, but it was like there was a tiny invisible hand in front of every single insect, gently trying to push them backwards. It felt like a very gentle but firm wind.

Wendy Wind can only use her powers in a single direction, I recalled Lisa mentioning. They must have run into the dead-end simply so they could funnel the swarm from a single direction, so she could use her powers to push them all backwards.

I still had some insects in the room with them, but not enough to take down two grown people. Shadow was already stomping on any bugs he could see them, while the main mass of my swarm was stuck in the doorway by the telekinetic push. Wendy apparently needed intense concentration to use her powers; she was stuck in that pose, hands raised, desperately focusing her powers trying to keep the swarm at bay.

Still, my insects were making progress. I ordered bugs to use their mandibles to grip the ones in front, while spider nets were rapidly weaved to hold the swarm together. The insects behind were pushing the ones in front, while the swarm all coordinated so they were pushing at once. That telekinetic forcing countering them was unwavering and persistent, yet I could feel still the swarm inching forward with every tiny step.

It was a snail's pace, though. Hell, I might be better off waiting for the actual snails.

Still, nothing for it. The bugs just had to try and pile through it. Quickly, the entire doorway was filled with so many insects the mass reached up to hip-height, all trying to force their way through. Shadow had already pick up a broomstick, using it to swat the bugs further back.

 _I need to get there myself_ , I thought furiously. So long as Wendy Wind was holding the swarm back, the insects couldn't reach her, they couldn't even slip through the sides – her power affected every object, no matter how small or discreet. The building was concrete, solid and well-built; there were no gaps in the walls either, and no windows in the dusty storeroom.

I could either keep on waiting for the bugs to force their way in, or otherwise would take a human's strength to break her power. I had to get up there myself.

"New girl!" Shadow shouted into his radio. "Where the hell are you? You need to stop Skitter!"

 _New girl?_ I thought confusedly. _Was there someone else in the building? The Lost Boys had a_ –

The bugs I kept around my body felt the change in air pressure first. My body reacted on pure impulse.

I was diving to the ground just as the metal pipe came swinging towards my head.

Fourth member. A teleporter.

I landed well and I turned quickly. The shape was already gone. Anybody who hadn't faced a teleporter before would have been caught off-guard, but I had encountered Oni Lee too many times not to know what came next.

I felt the person reappear directly behind me. My arm was already swinging in a backhanded slap even before they had materialised. My knuckles collided roughly. I barely felt the pain recoil through my arm.

The teleporter dropped to the ground, and I got my first glimpse of my attacker. It was a girl wearing a red hockey mask, and a grey jacket and heavy boots. Her costume looked rough, thrown together quickly – she was a new cape, then. She was tall, long-legged; fairly curvy but with a lean build. She was holding a heavy metal pipe with both hands, like a club.

" _So what do they call you, then?_ " I snarled through gritted teeth. "… _Tinkerbell?_ "

She never replied. She hesitated momentarily, and then suddenly I was diving at her, my fist punching straight at her mask. She disappeared without a sound, but I had already gotten enough bugs on her to track her movements.

Tinkerbell tried to reappear behind me again, but I kicked backwards and sent her stumbling. I barely had time to turn around before she swung the bat at nothing, but then teleported mid-swing.

My arms flinched automatically to cover my head, but there was nothing I could do as suddenly I felt the pain shoot through me as the metal pipe collided with my back.

Perhaps she was expecting me to drop to the floor. I didn't. In fact, I barely even staggered as I grabbed the end of the pipe and shoved it backwards into her. I heard her gasp as the other end stabbed into her stomach.

The next second, I was dragging the pipe out of her grip with one arm and slamming my fist around with the other. The first punch took her by surprise and collided with her chin. She tried to block the second punch, but failed as I stopped mid-swing and lashed out with a knee to her stomach instead. She collapsed, and then my elbow collided with the forehead of her hockey mask with a dull impact.

Tinkerbell tried to teleport, reappearing three feet away as she slapped her hand outwards. With my bugs in the air around me, I had advanced warning as I grabbed her hand and twisted her body into the concrete.

Her movements were clumsy. Her swings lacked power. I was skinny too, but I was so angry I fought like an animal. My eyes were practically feral as I punched, kicked and thrashed with fists, feet, knees and elbows. With my bugs around my providing advance warning to any of her surprise attacks, it was barely even a fight.

" _You fight like a wuss_ ," I hissed, digging my knee into her stomach painfully. She screamed in pain.

Suddenly, she disappeared from my grasp and I nearly stumbled into where I had been holding her, but I felt her reappear four feet away. She was on her knees, though, still gasping for breath.

A short range teleporter, then. She was still close enough for me to twist around and bury my knuckles straight into the back of her head. I felt my elbow jar with the impact.

Something cracked. It wasn't my arm.

" _Where's Amy?_ " I demanded, forcing Tinkerbell to the ground. She gasped for breath, but that was another second where I never had an answer, so I punched her in the face again. "Where's Amy?!"

My heart pounded. My fist didn't stop punching. "Tell me what you did with Amy!" I demanded. She tried to gargle something, but it was nonsensical. That deserved another punch.

"… _Where… Is…_ " I emphasised each word with a punch. My knuckles were screaming. I didn't care. "… _AMY?!_ "

I reached the point where I was pretty sure she was unconscious. I reached the point where I would have normally stopped hitting her, but then the sight of all those people dropping from the sky in falling cars flashed in front of my eyes, and I kept hitting her harder.

There was so much pure adrenaline pounding through my body that there was nothing I could do – nothing I _wanted_ to do – except beat the crap out of her.

Finally, she must have gathered the strength to teleport again. I felt her reappear on the floor downstairs. She was stumbling, struggling to even move. Without a second thought, I ordered my nearby bugs to attack relentlessly, biting and scratching at absolutely every part of her they could find. The bugs dug underneath her clothes, clawing at vulnerable skin while she screamed and squirmed. She tried teleporting again, this time to the ground floor, but she ended up inadvertently teleporting all those insects with her. They didn't stop biting.

I could have given chase, but I didn't. She was too awkward to catch anyways. Instead, I had to focus on Shadow and Wendy. They were the ones that had to go down first.

The adrenaline was still rushing through my body as I broke into a sprint, running upwards.

Wendy Wind was left screaming, staring at the mountain of clicking insects roaring in the doorway. Even Shadow looked like he was trembling – trapped in a small room while an army of insects tore towards them.

Then, that swarm started to speak, echoing with my voice. " _Where is Amy?_ " The bug-speak chanted. " _Where is Amy? Where is Amy?_ "

Shadow gulped, dropping his broomstick as the spiders started to latch onto it. "Pan!" He shouted.

"Working on it!" He grunted, through the radio. His voice was strained, like he was struggling to lift something. "Shadow! I need more power!"

Shadow hesitated. "You know what happe–"

"Just do it!" He screamed. "Give me more!"

"But–"

" _Do it!_ "

I was getting closer now. I was on the top floor, running towards them. The bugs were still chanting, the noise reverberating even over the howl of the wind. Every second, the tide of bugs inched closer to her. More and more were spilling out through the doorway. " _Where is Amy? Where is Amy? What have you done with Amy?!_ "

Wendy Wind screamed. Her face was so pale she looked seconds away from a heart attack. " _I don't know!_ " She squealed. " _I swear, I don't know!_ _Pan is the only one who knows, he hid her somewhere!_ "

I hesitated for only a fraction of a second. "… _Then you're useless to me!_ " The swarm roared, as every single insect pushed forward together.

" _Shadow!_ " Pan howled. His voice was cracked in exertion. " _More!_ "

Shadow hesitated, before closing his eyes to concentrate. Wendy was screaming as the swarm bulged at her. I was so close, almost through…

…Just a little bit more and they'd both be screaming in pain against a swarm of bugs…

"Oi! Queen Bitch!" Pan shouted suddenly, speaking through the radio at Shadow's side. "You can hear me, can't you?" His voice was a grunt. "You want the little healer so badly? Then why don't look to the north for a moment?"

I paused suddenly. Did he have her? Pan was outside of my range right now, I had no idea where he was. But if he had Amy that nearby, then…

My heart pounded as I turned to stare out from the top of the parking lot. The night was dark, but I was high enough to have a clear view all the way across the city. There were fires burning across the city, and to the south, towards the city centre, Diluvium's tornado roared and dominated landscape.

 _Still, to the_ north _?_ I thought quizzically. _The only things that were north was the Trainyard, and the_ –

– My breath went still as I saw the enormous silhouette block out the sky.

...

… _and_ _the Boat Graveyard_ …

I remember my dad used to love talking about the Boat Graveyard. It was both his passion and his curse. The Graveyard was littered with the wrecked freighters and ships, the derelict, haunted remains of Brockton Bay's old shipping industry. The Dockworker's Association used to constantly petition that maybe they could get the Boat Graveyard renovated, as if they maybe when they cleared up the past they could finally stand moving forward.

Once, dad admitted to me that it was never going to happen. The old freighters were ruined, anything that could be salvaged had been, and what remained was just tonnes of useless scrap metal polluting the land. It was absolutely ruined, so badly decayed that they just had to leave the old husks to rot. They left them there because there was no simple way of getting rid of it. It would take a multi-million dollar renovation effort to move ships that size.

Or, alternatively, apparently it only took a single super powered sociopath with the power to make objects massless.

I could barely breathe as I watched the rusted old husk lift into the sky. I knew that boat – I had seen it every time I went to the Boat Graveyard. Hell, it was a Brockton Bay landmark, as sour as that was. The biggest ship left to rot a in the Graveyard – a cargo ship that once carried a hundred thousand tons of cargo – now just an enormous skeletal corpse of a freighter, rotten and barren.

I could barely even breathe as I saw that freighter lift into the air in the distance.

… _Oh no_ …

At this distance, it looked like it was almost sailing slowly into the air. It was only vaguely that I realised how quickly it was shooting up into the clouds, almost disappearing from sight.

 _Pan is going above the cloud line_ , I realised dumbly. _He's getting around the tornado winds and debris by going above it_ …

 _Could Shadow really boost Pan's powers_ this _much?_ I could even process the thought. The scale was unbelievable.

Shadow was still in the storeroom, trapped my bugs, but his eyes were closed and he was concentrating intently. He was boosting Pan's powers. I needed to take Shadow down, but it was already too late. I wasn't capable of taking Shadow down quickly enough – but even if Pan's power up disappeared right this moment, that freighter would still fail and the death count…

The thought of what might happen if something like that dropped from that height made my nears weak. How much did it even weigh? A thousand tons? A hundred thousand?

"…Alrighty then…!" Pan snarled. I could barely hear him through the radio with the sound of rushing air around him. "Here's the deal, bitch! You're going to let my teammates walk out of there right now; otherwise I'm going to drop this _motherfucking battleship_ onto your _motherfucking city!_ "

My breath felt cold. I felt numb. I couldn't even feel my fingers. _How much damage could a ship like that do?_

 _How many people were going to die because of my decision?_

I knew I should have been scared, or furious, but instead a part of me just felt hollow. All the while I was staring upwards, there was only one thought I could actually think…

"…You're going to drop it anyways, though, aren't you?" My bugs droned slowly.

There was a long pause.

"… Yeah," Pan agreed. "I am."

… And just like that, everything went horribly wrong.

I could only stare upwards as I saw the shape dropped out of the sky. For a second, I glimpsed the clouds ripple like a stone falling through water, and then I saw the hull of ship sinking into the city.

It didn't land on me. Some part of vaguely registered of the ship crashing to the ground nearly three blocks away. Still, that barely mattered – I was still in the impact radius. In fact, everything in the better part of a mile was the impact radius.

Thoughts and feelings simply couldn't express the sensation of that much _force_ colliding with the ground.

I was vaguely aware of Shadow and Wendy pushing their way through my bugs. Her telekinetic push instantly increased exponentially in force, and suddenly they were using her powers to push a path straight through my swarm as they ran for their lives. Shadow must have used his powers to boost hers, giving Wendy the strength to knock my bugs backwards as they sprinted for the stairs.

I would have given chase, but at that moment the bone-shattering boom sent me sprawling to my knees. My mind could barely even process the impact.

It was the dust and rubble I felt first. The force of so much dust hit me like a bulldozer.

I gasped weakly, but then, for a moment, I felt the whole earth around me rippling like water.

The shockwave felt like an earthquake.

There was no time to scream, barely even time to feel scared. Instead, for the briefest moments, I was lying on the ground, in the whirling wind, feeling the buildings topple like dominos towards me.

Then, the entire parking lot beneath me cracked and splattered. I blinked, and then the tarmac I was lying on fell away beneath me. I saw the parking lot crack apart, the floors collapsed, and the gravity simply took over.

… I was suddenly falling downwards, and the whole structure was toppling down with me…

For that fleeting one moment, I could barely even hear the deafening sound of fracturing concrete over the sound of my own pounding heart.

… and then everything went black.

xxxxxxxxxxx

...

… _I dreamt of a ship sailing through an endless sky. I didn't know where the destination was, I just knew we'd get there. I didn't know why we're sailing, but I knew we had to we had to get there eventually._

 _There are two types of issues; important ones and unimportant ones._

 _There are two types of problems; relevant ones and irrelevant ones._

 _The lack of a destination was probably an important issue, but there was nothing I could do to fix that, so it was also an irrelevant one. Likewise, the growing lack of coordination, the increasingly frequent disagreements with our sister ship, the constant threat of encountering hostile vessels, and the more troubling erratic behaviour of the command itself were all important issues themselves._

 _Still, I couldn't fix any of them, so I didn't care about them. I focused only on problems that I could actually fix – those were the only relevant problems for me._

 _The growing dissent among our passengers was my problem. That one I could manage._

 _The passengers all had to look after the ship as well – that_ should _have been their job too, but the vessel was cobbled together from so many different scraps. The host would harvest and scavenge whatever it found, like a twisted leviathan lumbering along, constantly consuming and integrating them into itself. A behemoth constructing itself and growing endlessly out of scrap._

 _It was a battleship at heart. A machine for war. A fighter. I didn't know for what purpose it was waging war – it probably didn't know that purpose either – but that knowledge was irrelevant to both of us._

 _Many of the passengers had been, at one time, hostile to the vessel. Even after they were integrated, some of that hostility still remained. Some were more amenable than others, but some clung onto the haunted memories of their old purposes even after they had been stripped away and rebuilt into the vessel. Those memories of hatred lingered in the gaps, haunting the lower halls._

 _I didn't care about what the passengers were or had been. All I cared about was making sure it_ worked _._

 _I reintegrated any mutinous passengers. The ones that were too troubling to reintegrate were imprisoned in the deepest corners I could find, imprisoned in unending layers of walls. Any passengers that were useful were put to work, and any passengers that were redundant were recycled. Passengers that could work well together were integrated, passengers that proved unhealthy were separated._

 _I received constant data – information flowing into me. I didn't know what the information was or where it came from, but I knew what it_ meant _._

 _It meant whether or not a function was doing well or poorly, and I knew that it was my job to make sure it did well._

 _It was like a pattern – a constant ever-shifting pattern of endless data – and I just fiddled the dials and gave the commands and watched and waited to see whether it made an improvement or a hindrance. Eventually, I started to learn the patterns myself; I started to learn which patterns were good and which ones bad. I had to constantly learn how to make things even better._

 _I didn't know much, but I was good at learning._

 _I knew one thing though; I knew my purpose. My purpose was to force purpose onto others._

 _Observation and fault detection. System control. Navigation. Research and development. Manufacture and production. Maintenance and repair. Generation and utility. Propulsion and transportation. Offensive capabilities and weaponry._

 _Those were all useful purposes. I needed to give everything a purpose, put the passengers into their categories, make everything_ function _. It all needed to work, it all needed to –_

xxxxxxxxxxx

"– Taylor!" A voice in my ear screamed. It took a long time for my brain to register the words. Everything was spinning, even as I laid face first in the dust. " _Taylor!_ "

 _Where was I?_ My head was a mess I could barely remember a thing. Everything was jumbled, but flashes of jumbled memories flickered around my head. _What happened?_ I remembered screaming, lots of noise, wind everywhere, and…

I remembered a ship falling out of the sky.

My eyes shot open.

I coughed weakly, feeling my lungs sting. There was a shrill voice screaming in my ear. "Taylor! Please Taylor, answer me!"

"…Lisa?" I muttered weakly, struggling to think. It took me a long time to process my surrounding through all the dust. I was lying on a block of concrete, right next to an overturned Peugeot crushed under a slab of rubble. There was rubble everywhere, nothing but rubble in fact. I was lying on top of rubble.

I was lying on top of the ruined remains of a parking lot.

"Taylor, please tell me you're alright?" Lisa muttered frantically in my ear. It took me a while to realise how lucky I'd been that I hadn't been crushed under the rubble as well. Instead, I had been on the top when it fell and I ended up on the top when it landed.

"…I'm alright," I murmured, but the words were so quiet I could barely here them myself. I tried again. "I'm alright."

Lisa's voice squirmed. I heard a breath of relief. "Thank god…" She sighed. "Taylor, Alec and I are safe. Shadow Stalker has gone back to get you – I had to promise her another two million if she brought you back safe. Please, just stay there, she's on her way."

Stay here? It was such a strange thought. I knew there had been a reason I had to move, but I could barely think, my head was so –

Amy.

The thought cut through the daze. That's why I had been moving. Amy. I had to find Amy.

 _I need to save Amy_.

Just the thought of that made my head clear a little bit more.

I reached out with my bugs instinctively. There wasn't a street outside. The street had collapsed. Every single building on the street had collapsed as well.

Three blocks away, I could fell the shape of jagged chunks of twisted metal lying in a crater that hadn't been there before. There was a barely a ship left anymore, just giants chunks of rusted iron and debris scattered everywhere.

There was a still a tornado raging in the distance, but moving further and further away. My body was trembling as I tried to gather the strength to stand up.

Suddenly, there were two shapes blurring through the sky. Alexandria was up and moving again, and she was chasing after Pan. Her cape was gone, her clothes were ruined, her mask was cracked, but she seemed as strong and as fast as ever. They both were moving so fast that my bug sense couldn't even keep up.

 _Pan_ , I thought quietly. I could barely picture his face, but I could hear his voice. I could hear his laugh.

I thought about that laugh and it made me remember my fury.

He was going to destroy my city. What was left of my city. He was going to destroy it all, he was going to kill Amy. I knew he was, and I knew there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop him. The thought almost left me cold.

I knew that the sensible option would be just to keep on lying in the rubble and wait for rescue. Leave it to Alexandria and the heroes to stop the psychopaths. I knew that there was barely anything I had left to contribute to this fight, and I was so exhausted that I could barely even move.

…Still, the thought of _doing nothing_ just made me even angrier than I ever thought I could be. I knew there was nothing I could do.

… _Nothing I could do?_

"Taylor?" Lisa's voice hissed. "Are you sure you're ok?"

My hands clenched. " _I'm alright_ ," I snarled, feeling the adrenaline kick in again. My muscles protested as I pulled myself, but I didn't care. There was one thing that I could _always_ do.

 _I can stand up again and keep on fighting_.

The first step felt like an agony. The second one was torture. The third one felt like pure hell. By the fourth, I was through giving a damn.

 _This is_ my _city that they are destroying_.

It was more than a matter of rage, or outrage, it was almost a matter of pride. My city. My responsibility. I refused to stop without making them all answer for that one.

I had to practically crawl over the debris. The rocks threatened to slip at any moment, and I had to walk gingerly over the rubble. Still, around me the air buzzed as whatever insects I had left shook into life.

 _Ok then, damage report: I'm pretty sure my ribs are fractured, my head is still spinning, my legs are so bruised every step hurts, and my knuckles are dripping blood. Oh, and I'm down a hell of lot of insects._

The ground beneath me threatened to break at any second. I had to slide down a slope of stone sitting down, wincing with every impact. Even outside the collapsed building, the street wasn't much better. Hell, I could barely even see the street anymore.

 _Ok then_ , I thought slowly, taking a deep breath to steady myself. _Who's next?_

I felt Alexandria and Pan shooting through the air. They were moving so fast I couldn't even keep up. Pan was bouncing uncontrollably, while Alexandria was like a rocket. She was faster in the straight line, yet Pan was infinitely better at accelerating in different directions.

He was laughing. Even with the world's strongest cape chasing after him, he was still laughing.

The thought alone gave me a bit more strength to hobble faster.

"Come on Alexandria!" Pan roared, bouncing off a window at absolutely insane speeds. " _Catch me, baby!_ "

Alexandria didn't retort. She clearly wasn't one for banter. Instead, she just ripped an electrical cable off the ground and lashed it like a whip. The air cracked like thunder and the cable hit Pan head on, but then Pan just went ricocheting off even faster.

I swear she almost growled as she rocketed off after her again. I felt the ground rumble from the sonic boom.

Pan could break the sound barrier as well. He just never gave off a sonic boom when he did. Even when he was moving faster than the speed of sound and he hit a puddle, he still didn't even make a splash.

Together, they were bouncing in and out of my range so quickly I couldn't even keep up.

"What's the matter, Alex baby?" Pan taunted, recoiling into the air. "You seem a bit scared to even get up close to m–"

His voice was cut off as suddenly a boulder the size of a car was thrown at him at the speed of sound. He bounced, but the rubble from the impact sent him spinning the opposite direction. At first, I thought it was just another useless attack, but then I felt Alexandria quickly sweep a dumpster off the street and into the air.

Pan couldn't change direction in mid-air. She must have calculated the throw to fire him in a specific direction. Suddenly, Pan was shooting down the street, and Alexandria was waiting for him, holding a solid metal dumpster in his path like a cage, ready to catch him.

He was heading straight for her…

For a second, I actually thought she was finally going to catch the bouncing bastard.

What happened next was so fast it was only afterwards I managed to piece it together. Pan's hands shot out, colliding with the rim of the dumpster just as Alexandria tried to slam the lid shut. Then, suddenly the dumpster was weightless as well and it was shooting backwards away from Pan…

Not even Alexandria could react in time as the recoil sent Pan spinning into her. His foot swung into her chest.

I only just caught Pan smirk. "Tag, you're it!" He snapped, and then Alexandria was sent flying backwards into the street.

He turned Alexandria weightless too.

 _Fuck, I have to get there quickly._

Pan became solid and landed back on the ground with a quiet tap. Alexandria was left spinning wildly, bouncing off a collapsed wall before spinning into the street. She came to an abrupt halt suddenly, with both hands wrapped around a lamppost.

"Oh! _Nice_ reflexes!" Pan jeered mockingly, clapping his hands slowly. "Most people end up straight into space with the first bounce – there aren't many that can actually catch themselves. I mean, I know _I_ make it look easy, but it's damn hard to move with zero mass, huh?"

Alexandria had to practically hug the lamppost tightly, while the rest of was left floating as if in zero gravity. Everything under Pan's effect floated freely –she couldn't even fly. Even the tiniest force was enough to send her flying wild. I could practically hear her growling in anger.

' _I've never seen her so fucking pissed off before_ ', I remembered Shadow Stalker saying. Alexandria had all the strength to rip him limb from limb, but she couldn't because a single touch from him could sent her flying mad. Her famous strength was nearly useless when a single feather could her knock her away.

I suddenly realised how much of a bad match Pan was against Alexandria. If it had been Legend, he wouldn't have spared Pan a second glance before disintegrating him with laser beams. If it was Eidolon, he would have just _laughed_ Pan off. But against Alexandria…

Her famous speed was nearly meaningless against a guy who could always go just as fast. Her strength was practicality useless when he could counter any force. She had been trying to fight him from a distance, to somehow catch him despite his speed, but all it took was a single glancing touch from him and then she lost every advantage she had.

She was an unmovable object. He had the power to make objects moveable.

I was limping determinedly as I headed towards them. I had my bugs, but I had to keep them discreet. I needed some way of finally trapping Pan, but I knew instinctively that my swarm wasn't big enough. Another two thousand more and I could have done something, but there weren't enough convenient insects in my range left.

"Taylor what's going on?" Lisa demanded from my headset.

"Corner of Earl Street," I said wheezily. It took all my focus just to put one foot in front of the other on the cracked street. "Alexandria vs Pan. She's in trouble."

Alexandria had gingerly try to pull herself to the ground. She couldn't even move without something to hold onto. She couldn't fly, she couldn't even walk. Pan was still watching her from the street, his eyes almost predatory.

"Sucks, huh?" He said conversationally, slowing walking forward. His voice was calm, but there was anger in it. "To feel _helpless_? Guess it's not a feeling that you're used to. You, well, you're the living embodiment of absolutely everything that's wrong with this government. An unmovable juggernaut that doesn't even care about all the people that can't _fly_ , forcing all of those little people to stay in the ground."

His face twisted in anger. "Me? I'm not one of those little people anymore. I _can_ fly." He paused, slowly, taking another step forward.

Alexandria's voice was cold. "You just killed a lot of those little people yourself," she muttered finally.

His face twisted in anger. "Well, sometimes it takes a fucking boat falling from the sky to actually make things _change_!" Pan snarled. "I've got to show people that ' _the man_ ' can't protect them – that it's all nothing but lies and bullshit!"

"And that's the plan?" Alexandria muttered. She was struggling to find any form of leverage. "Lead a rebellion by fear? Now which one of us is really leading the oppression here?"

Pan grinned. It was nothing but teeth.

"Say what you want…" He snarled stepping forward, stressing every other word. "… But every disaster… every _tragedy_ … it might kill a thousand people but it gives birth to a dozen more _just_ … _like_ … **_me_**."

There was a moment of silence. I was barely a street away. I had bugs in position, but not enough. I needed some way of weaving nets across the street, some way of trapping him in where his powers were useless…

My swarm was growing with every step. Even if I had to create chains of bugs holding each other's legs to hold him down, I could do it. I just needed a chance…

"… In three minutes, thirty six seconds…" Alexandria said slowly. "Your power is going to wear off on me, and then I'm going to catch you and I'm going _crush_ you."

Pan paused. His smile hovered around his lips. "Yeah," he agreed. "And, _normally_ , this would be the part of fight where I would make a rude joke and fly away."

He took another step forward. I felt Alexandria's hand's clenched slightly. There was faint crunch of metal from the streetlight. "I mean… even if you are massless… you're still just as invulnerable, right?" Pan mused. "Honestly, the whole reason I've been gunning for Skitter is because I didn't think I'd stand a chance against _you_. You're Alex-freaking-andria, there's absolutely nothing I can do to hurt you, right?"

I was only three hundred yards away. My bugs were already creeping up on Pan slowly, from behind the debris. I had to catch him when he was solid, and stationary. I only have one chance here before he starts flying again…

"… _Mind_ …" Pan said slowly, his smirk rising across his face. "… I was watching when you were fighting against the water bastard, and, well, something just seemed _off_ about that to me. I can't help but wonder…"

He was grinning now, as he slowly flexed his arms. "… Just tell me… Alex, baby…" He said quietly, almost a whisper. "… Do you still need to _breathe_?"

Just like that, everything happened at once. Alexandria's hands easily snapped the streetlight in half, still holding the bottom half to hold herself in position, while she swung the top of lamppost like a giant golf club straight at Pan. I heard the air crack.

Then impact took Pan off his feet, but then he was holding onto the streetlight as well, turning that weightless too and swinging it backwards against her. Alexandria lost her grip and then suddenly Pan was using the weightless streetlight to knock her backwards. It swatted her with less strength than a feather duster, but it was still enough to send her shooting backwards.

My bugs lunged at once. I send a hundred wasps and spiders shooting at them full-speed, but Pan noticed them at the last second. I barely managed to get a half a dozen wasps to latch onto his hair and clothes, before I felt his weightless send my swarm wild. They couldn't fly when they were under Pan's effect, they couldn't even feel air resistance.

" _Skitter!_ " Pan roared in fury, screaming as the wasps I had on him stung and bit with everything they had. He hesitated for a moment, before trying to brush them off and chasing after Alexandria.

It wasn't enough to bring him down though. Instead, he leapt into the air, swinging the giant streetlight like it was balloon as he brought it down on Alexandria and knocked it to her to the ground. Alexandria had nothing to leverage against as she was sent bouncing and spinning madly upwards.

Then, Pan was using the lamppost like a hockey stick, launching Alexandria straight down the street before bouncing after her in breakneck speed. He switched between heavy and weightless as he ran, turning solid each time his foot hit the ground, before switching to massless to fire forward at insane acceleration. In seconds, they were both totally out of my range.

She was fighting furiously, clinging out to every object she could find, but Pan was still just forcing her away. He was having trouble trying to keep his distance, she was constantly lunging whenever she found a surface to press against. I saw Pan's face red with exhaustion and concentration as he tried to drag her down the street.

Alexandria had all the strength to crush him into pieces, but there was a difference between mass and strength. So long as Pan was controlling the weight, she had nothing to leverage against him. If she could get him in her grip, he'd be dead, but so long as he didn't come close she had no way to fight against him.

Suddenly, their fight didn't seem so one-sided anymore.

It took me a few seconds to realise where he was heading. _We're on Earl's Street. Upper Boardwalk_.

 _Fuck, the_ pier.

"Lisa!" I ordered, breaking into a run. My aching legs protested, but I forced them to pound against the pavement. "Quickly, pass the message on. Tell Shadow Stalker to hurry for the pier!"

"What's happening?"

"It's Pan." I was already panting as I ran. "I think he's going to try and _drown_ her."

My swarm roared. I needed to close the distance. I needed more bugs. _Fuck_ , I cursed, as I counted my swarm. _I've been going through a hell of bugs all night_. Diluvium had made quick work of a lot of them. The whole area was running low.

It took me two minutes of solid, painful running before I felt their presence again. They were already on the pier. They were three and half blocks away, and I still had to close the distance quickly.

It was only when they re-entered my range again, that I realised their 'fight' had only gone further downhill for the Alexandria. Somehow – I wasn't even sure how – but Pan had managed to get the upper hand until Alexandria was barely even holding on. He had managed to renew his effect so many times that she never even have a hope of waiting it out anymore.

 _She's actually losing_ , I thought with shock. _Alexandria is_ losing. The thought shook me to the core.

From the bugs still planted on Pan's body, still biting and scratching as best as they could, I vaguely felt the fight. Pan had the advantage, using the lamppost like a cattle prod to force her away from him, but Alexandria wasn't making it easy. She was fighting tooth and nail, clutching onto every surface her hand could grasp, all the while trying desperately to lunge at Pan and get a grip on his body.

She was fast, but he was better at fighting weightless than she was. Still, for a second, when Alexandria manged to get a grip on a railing and fasten hold herself down, I thought that maybe she might still be able to persevere against him.

Then, I felt the two other figures on the scene, and my heart dropped.

Shadow and Wendy Wind. They managed to survive the collapsing parking lot as well.

Wendy Wind raised her hands, and suddenly the telekinetic push force Alexandria out over the pier. She couldn't fight against the telekinetic push.

Alexandria – _Alexandria_ , the world's greatest hero – was left thrashing uselessly in mid-air as Pan jumped up, grabbed the ruined remains of her cape, and turned himself heavy to drag her into the water.

Suddenly, the scene was a frantic wrestling match of struggling and splashing.

Pan was laughing again. His face was beetroot red, struggling and panting as he tried to wrestle her without getting close, but he was still laughing as he splashed seawater onto her with one hand.

"…Let me tell you a secret…" Pan taunted, his voice hoarse. Alexandria was splashing madly, but she couldn't escape the ocean. Every time Pan splashed her it just brought her further in. "… My power… it really doesn't handle water very well. Honestly, I absolutely _suck_ during the rain. So many droplets falling from the air – doesn't work well with zero mass now, does it?"

Alexandria snarled, twisting around to try and get him. Pan splashed the water with his hands and the force sent Alexandria backwards. She was half submerged in water already, and she was left incapable of pulling herself out.

They were standing in about three feet of water, but somehow Alexandria was left struggling like a child in a pool. She was thrashing furiously, but she could barely even break the surface of the water.

 _She had nothing to leverage against in the water_ , I realised suddenly. _Her strength was useless because she had nothing to push on._ _She was trapped_.

My feet started running even faster. Still two blocks away.

Pan laughed. "It _sucks_ when a single droplet is so much heavier than you, huh? You can't even lift a teaspoon of water unless you've got something else to push against. Being submerged feels like being trapped in concrete."

He idly splashed her with water. The force sent further into the water. "So this is how the great Alexandria goes down, huh? Kicking and struggling like a _fucking baby?_ "

She roared, trying to break the water just to swim towards him. Shadow and Wendy dropped into the shallow ocean next to Pan. "Careful!" Shadow ordered. "Don't let her get too close, she can still snap you!"

"I know, I know!" Pan snapped. "Wendy!"

The girl looked terrified as she raised her hands. The telekinetic push slowly sent Alexandria drifting backwards. She kicked and thrashed, but there was nothing to struggle against, no hope of resisting.

"Adam, are you sure about this?" Wendy asked nervously, staring at Alexandria. Her face was pale, her hands twitching. "I –"

" _I swear to god Wendy!_ " Pan howled. His eyes were bloodshot. "If you wuss out on me now, _I'm throwing you into fucking space!_ We're making _history_ here!"

She was twitching. Even Shadow looked unsure. Alexandria could barely scream as the water went everywhere. "If you kill me…" She shouted hoarsely. Her voice was low. "They'll be kill order the next morning. You won't –"

"Let them come!" Pan hissed, splashing her again. He turned to his teammates. "Let me tell you how it's going to go! Wendy, you keep on pushing her – force her back against the pier. Shadow, switch targets, I need you to boost _me_ now! Everything you got, I need it. Now."

Shadow faltered slightly. Shadow had a knife – so long it was almost a machete – in his hand, but he didn't seem to have much use for it. Instead, he was just clutching it tensely. "Pan, you know what it does to you when –"

"I don't care!" Pan snapped. He barely even looked sane anymore. " _Boost. Me._ "

He was panting like animal as slowly he flexed his fingers and placed them in the water. Then the ocean around him started to swell upwards. The water was wobbling like a giant bubble.

"You keep on holding her, Wendy!" Pan snapped. The water around him was still swelling. "Shadow, keep it coming!"

 _He's turning the water weightless too_.

 _I need to attack right now_.

Whatever bugs I had launched themselves at the Lost Boys. It wasn't many, but I did manage to grab a hold of a few crabs and direct them at their ankles underwater. Wendy Wind screamed, while Shadow cursed as the flies swarmed them. Wendy Wind's telekinesis seemed to waver slightly, but it didn't break.

"It's Skitter, just ignore her!" Pan bellowed. He barely even seemed to care about the insects trying to gouge themselves on his eyes. He was absolutely maniac. I ordered the crabs to peel away any skin they could find with sharp claws. " _Just a bit further!_ "

It was only then that I realised what he was trying to do. Alexandria was still weightless, held back by Wendy's telekinesis while the weightless water went everywhere. It floated around into a giant bubble swelling from the ocean, and Alexandria couldn't do anything to stop it. Suddenly, she was trapped in a bubble of zero mass water, unable to even make a splash with nothing to press against, while Pan forced himself further.

I glimpsed her eyes, wide and panicked.

There was no air for her to breathe anymore. The weightless water went everywhere – she was sucking it into her lungs and up her nose with every frantic gasp.

I came into view of the scene with my own eyes, and I felt my breath run cold as I saw her trapped just off the coast, the Lost Boys surrounding her.

 _They're actually going to do it_ , I thought hollowly. _They're going to_ suffocate _Alexandria_.

I ran as fast as my battered legs could take me.

 _Wendy Wind_. At once, all of my insects converged on Wendy. She was the weakest member of the party, and if I could just take her down then the bubble would pop. It was her telekinesis that was pushing it together…

My heart was pounding like a drum as I ran onto the piers. My legs didn't stop running even as I sprinted straight over the railing.

Suddenly, I was jumping off the pier and failing into the water. Wendy Wind was right beneath me.

Pan was howling. " _NO!_ "

My fist collided with Wendy's face so hard I think I might have broken my wrist. We were both crashing down into the murky water, with her beneath me. It felt like jumping into an ice-bath.

At once, the bubble popped and the weightless water shot everywhere, sprinkling the air with zero gravity droplets zooming past.

I glimpsed Alexandria taking frantic gulp of air again, coughing madly as she floated upwards into the air.

"How could you?!" Pan roared, splashing towards me furiously. "She needs to die! She's the _oppressor_ , she needs to –"

"Hey, Pan?" I growled savagely, lunging towards him. "Do me a favour?"

My other fist collided firmly with his forehead. He crumpled backwards into the ocean.

"… _Grow up_ ," I snarled.

From behind, Shadow tried to attack me with his machete. Waist deep in water, there was no such thing as a surprise attack, instead we were all waddling through the light ocean waves. My bugs focused around Shadow's eyes, catching him off-guard as I went for his machete. He tried to struggle as I shoved him in the chest and he lost his footing on the unstable sand, while I pried the knife out of his hands.

Behind me, Wendy Wind was gasping for air as she clambered to her feet. Pan's forehead was bleeding madly. His eyes flickered, and all smugness was gone. I could see the fear.

He wasn't an untouchable bouncy ball flying through the air anymore. Now, he was just a dumb teenager, soaked to the bone, trapped, in three feet of water, in a grunge match against an opponent who just wouldn't go down.

They outnumbered me three to one, but I liked my odds.

" _Where's Amy!?_ " I screamed, charging at Pan with Shadow's machete. " _What have you done to **Amy**?_ "

His confidence shattered. Above the water behind me, Alexandria was moving again. His effect would be wearing off soon. I saw the anger, the rage and fear all mix together in Pan's eyes, just before he slammed his hands against the water and used his power at full effect.

The weightless droplets of water went splashing everywhere. Pan was screaming bloody, incoherent rage as he tried to push straight past me. I was forced to jump backwards - I couldn't risk getting within range of his Striker effect.

There were insects scratching and clawing at the most vulnerable parts of him they could find. I had crabs latched to his feet, breaking the skin around his ankles. Wendy Wind looked like she was in tears, her face bleeding from countless insect bites, as Shadow grabbed her and tried to drag her out of the water. I tried to give chase, clutching the machete like a maniac, but they were closer to the shore. They reached the rocky beach of the pier first.

As soon as Pan managed to clamber out of the ocean, he reached backwards and grabbed Wendy and Shadow roughly and I felt his weightlessness take effect again. My bugs tried to hold him down, find some way of forcing him to the ground, but he just kicked through them all as he jumped upwards into the sky.

There was no witty retort from him. He was just left soaked, beaten and bloody as he turned around and fled for his life.

That furious look of hurt on his bloody face was the only consolation price I had as I watched him escape. _Again_.

… _Still_ , I thought viciously. _I'd gotten enough bugs on him this time. I could follow the trail. This time, I could track_ him.

Behind me, Alexandria was still gasping. She had become heavy again, but her face was pale as she gasped, coughing and spitting out water. She looked like she was struggling to even think. I could barely believe my eyes.

This wasn't the strong, invulnerable Alexandria who I once had a lunchbox of. This was panicked, half-drowned Alexandria who very nearly died.

 _Holy shit, I've just saved Alexandria's life_.

...

 ** _Holy shit_**.

"…nearly killed me…" I heard gasp. Her eyes were wide. "… nearly killed me…"

"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly. Her brain had been starved of oxygen for a long time. She wasn't thinking clearly. My voice became sharp. "Alexandria?!"

"… Contessa never told me, why would…? This wasn't the path, but…?" She muttered quietly, eyes dazed. She was breathing heavily. She blinked, trying to focus. "… I've got to stop him… must stop him…"

I shook my head. "No wait…!"

She tried to charge forward. I jumped directly in front of her. Alexandria stopped after barely a metre, but pure force of water still nearly pushed me away like a steam train. I barely kept my footing.

"…Must stop him, I've got to…" Alexandria mumbled.

" _Alexandria!_ " I snapped, and without even thinking about it, my hand shot out.

My palm collided with her face with a dull snap. Her head didn't even twitch, but she blinked in astonished surprise.

 _Holy shit, I've just **slapped** Alexandria_.

… Ouch _, that hurt my hand_.

Still no time to stop now.

"Leave Pan alone!" I ordered; my voice sounding a lot firmer than I felt. "You have to focus on _Diluvium_." I pointed to the towering spiral of the tornado over in the distance. "You have to stop him from the destroying the city, because _you're the only person who can_."

Alexandria blinked. Suddenly, without all the garb and atmosphere, I realised she really didn't look very much older than a young adult. I mean, I knew she must have been at least thirty five, but I could have sworn she wasn't that much more than a teenager.

Alexandria was the only one strong enough to match Diluvium. That strength was almost a disadvantage when fighting someone like Pan, though.

"I'll take care of Pan, because that's something _I_ can do," I snapped. "I'll capture him, I'll make him tell me where Amy is, and then when he has _you've_ got to go and save her straight away. _Do you understand?_ "

 ** _Holy shit I'm bossing around Alexandria._**

She paused. Her face still looked pale, but she was panting a lot less. Starting to breathe better. She was coming to her senses.

Alexandria gulped. "… You're right," she muttered after a long pause. She closed her eyes in thought and slowly started to ascend up out of the water. "I have to – yes, you're right…"

She was still breathing heavily. My mouth failed me and suddenly I was left staring useless. It was a small mercy that underneath my mask she couldn't see me gape. Alexandria hesitated in the air glancing around the dark water as if suddenly unsure what else to say.

"… Um, yes…" she muttered slowly, as if she was struggling with the words. "… Thank you…"

With that, she turned around and shot away into the air.

… I was left staring at her vapour trail like an idiot.

 ** _HOLY SHIT._**

… I could have squealed.

I heard Lisa's stunned voice in my ear. "… Holy shit, Taylor, did you save _Alexandria's_ life?"

I muttered something that sounding like an affirmative. I was absolutely shattered, bloody and battered, clutching a machete and soaking in freezing cold seawater, but my heart was beating like a drum.

"… Ok," I said after a long pause. "I'm going to freak out about that later, but right now, I've got to find the Lost Boys. I have to _end_ this."

The thought of Amy brought the fury and determination back. Amy's life was in danger. She was only in the situation because of me, and I was the one who had to save her. That thought was the only thing keeping me going. That was my purpose.

"Taylor, be careful," Lisa muttered cautiously. "Pan's insane, and he's angry. Do you have a plan on how you're going to take him down?"

"Yes," I muttered through gritted teeth. My hands were numb from the cold water, but I still gripped the machete so tightly it hurt. " _Painfully_."

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

Alright, in case it isn't clear, the way that I've been structuring this arc is that every chapter has had one of the different villains as its antagonist/conflict. The first ones were introducing the setup, 3.03 focused on The Fallen, 3.04 focused on The Teeth, 3.05 was Diluvium's, while this one is Pan's and the Lost Boys.

The next one, though, that's all Skitter's.

Yeah, conclusion to the whole villain riot arc coming up next.


	20. Evolution 07 (1)

**Evolution 3.07 (1)**

Behind me, the rumble of tornado winds and explosions was a dull crescendo of booms howling from the centre of town. Diluvium was still going mad, despite every hero in the city and then some trying to power him down. In the centre of it, it would be a pandemonium of chaos and violence, but looking at it from this distance it seemed like an almost serene light show of blasts and sounds.

This far from the chaos, the streets just felt unnervingly quiet and deserted.

I jogged through the empty docks, still limping with every step. At one point, I think a gang of hooligans tried to mug me. They took one look at the teenage girl running around the streets, wearing a black mask, carrying a machete, and flanked by a cloak of bugs, and they promptly ran away. I didn't let them escape, of course.

It took me about half an hour to find Pan's trail again. I had enough bugs on him that I could feel him distinctly. I knew he was in the city, I knew he had been flying north, and he knew that he was injured enough that he would need to rest. After that, it was just a matter of time.

Pan underestimated me. He clearly never knew about my range. That was the first mistake he made trying to run away from me.

The second mistake? He decided to come to a stop in the docks, hiding in an abandoned warehouse. For the first time all night, I sighed a breath of relief.

I had whole warehouses of modified bugs in that warehouse district at the docks. It was where I kept my breeding pools. For the first time all night, I was actually close enough to use them.

I took a deep breath to focus as soon as the huge concentration of insects came under my precise control. So many insects flooded my senses all at once, I had to stop running just to process them all.

I'd been going too long with half a swarm. Suddenly, I had a full army at my command. I could feel wasps, mutant spiders, centipedes, even some of my particularly interesting species of cockroaches and ants.

 _This is better_ , I thought quietly, taking a deep breath. _Much, much better_.

At once, my army stirred into life, all insects moving into formation. I had to be careful, I couldn't let Pan see me coming. Instead, I used the sewers, and within minutes there was a solid mass of bugs being forced through the sewer system.

I could feel my powers kicking into life. Already, thoughts and images of formations, tactics and patterns of assault flashed before my eyes.

I paused, still panting heavily while I let my power ramp up in the background of my mind. I groaned slightly as I flexed, trying desperately to focus.

My clothes were soaked through and my body was chafing against the wet fabric. Even my mask was still half-scorched and completely black on the right side of my face. I could only see through one eye patch, but there was nothing for it. I had plenty of silk in my warehouse, but no pre-made costume, so instead I just ordered a squadron of bugs to bring me a spider silk sheet that I could wrap around me like a cloak.

 _It's better than wearing a mask with jeans and t-shirt_ , I thought with a gulp, wrapping the sheet around me like a poncho.

"…Taylor… is …ok?" Lisa said in my ear. My headset was crackling terribly. I think the batteries were finally running dry.

"I've got this," I said with a deep breath. "I've found the Lost Boys. I can take them."

"…Stalker… coming…" Lisa said through the static.

"Right. Let's finish this," I muttered before quietly flicking the switch and turning the headset off. It was more static than anything right now, I wanted to preserve what little battery I had left.

I could feel the Lost Boys in a warehouse two blocks away. I needed to keep my bugs discreet – I couldn't let anyone catch a glimpse of the swarm or they might bolt before I was ready – but I could still pick up on the distinctive sound of yelling. Pan was screaming at someone. The other voice was quieter, I barely recognised it. Shadow.

" –You'd be _nothing_ if it wasn't for me!" Pan screamed. " _Nothing!_ "

He was arguing with Shadow. Good, if the team was falling apart, it would just make things easier for me.

The warehouse was an old, empty building. A storehouse left over from the days of the shipping industry, with broken glass windows and a flimsy metal roof. Barely anything even left inside of it except rubbish and cobwebs. There were distinct tags on the wall – the Merchants must have used the warehouse for one of their raves at one point.

I focused on the topography being relayed to me. There were two floors to the warehouse, an upper one overlooking the lower, with rooms partitioned at the back. There were three exits, two at the front, one by the back, but plenty of broken windows. Plus, the part of the ceiling on one corner had broken away at some point – the whole steel roof looked like it was drooping under the weight of rust and age, it was barely being held together.

Overall, it was a good place for them to hide out. Quiet, out of the way, but large enough that Pan's power could still be effective, and plenty of openings if he needed to make a quick escape into the sky.

At once, I gave the order for any spiders I could find to start weaving silk. I need strong webs across all of the entrances, windows, and any potential escape points. Hell, I could just cocoon the whole building. Pan's power was tricky enough that I didn't want to take any chances. Only once the building was fully secured could I actually attack.

Vaguely, I was aware of the argument still going on. Shadow's responses were quiet, in a dark voice that I could barely hear, but I could make out Pan's screaming easily.

" – _has_ to be done!" Pan screeched. "The next time I ask for more, you give it to me _straight away_."

Nervously, Wendy tried to inject with something. Her face was still bleeding in hundreds of tiny bugs bites. Her eyes were red raw. "…Adam, don't…"

"Shut up!" Pan snapped, spinning around onto her. " _You_ were the one that let Alexandria escape! _You_ let the Queen Bitch get the drop on you! Don't you say a fucking word!"

Shadow muttered something darkly. Pan nearly growled. "You need me!" He snapped. "You _both_ do!"

Wendy whimpered quietly. Pan was on her in a second. "Do you remember who saved your life, Wendy?!" Pan demanded. " _Me_. I did. I was the one who dragged you from the basement, _I did!_ "

She muttered something so quietly I could barely catch it. "… My name is not Wendy Wind…" She muttered. "..Adam, I'm _Claire_ …"

He didn't respond. I heard Wendy's voice crack slightly. I thought there were tears in her eyes. "…Adam, can you even remember my name…?"

Pan stiffened. For a second, I thought he looked almost uncertain. Then he blinked and scowled. "Your name is Wendy," he spat, before storming away, heading towards the bottom floor.

Shadow took her hand and slowly pushed her to one side. I only caught snippets of his quiet mutter. "Leave him… you know what it does… prepare…"

There are others in that building, I realised suddenly. Pan and the Lost Boys were on the top floor, but I instantly felt a haggle of figures grouped on the bottom. There were nearly a dozen other people, nine men and two women, all huddled together, talking in quiet whispers at the other side of the room. I didn't know who they were, or what they were doing, but through the kaleidoscope of blurry insect vision, I saw that their faces were covered.

 _So that's fourteen in the building. Three Lost Boys, and eleven unknowns_. There was no time for anything else, I was just going to treat everyone in there as a threat.

 _Tinkerbell wasn't there_ , I noticed quietly. I didn't recognise her costume, and I suspected she would have the worst of the bug bites than anyone. Good. A teleporter would be the most annoying of any opponents to ambush.

My swarm was already in position. I had tiny, incredibly strong silk nets surrounding the building, and the main bulk of my swarm was already moving in.

 _Then Pan has a dozen allies with him_ , I thought coldly. _Me? I've got_ millions.

At once, my insects attacked. They attacked from all sides, with wasps flying in through the roof while swarms of spiders burst through the windows, and whole swarms exploded out of the drains.

I took a deep breath as all the bug senses rushed towards me. Standing where I was, it was all of those insects felt like part of my body, and I was closing my grip tightly around the warehouse.

For those inside the building, it was like absolute hell just charged into them.

I heard the screams. I heard the panic. I didn't care.

Pan was bellowing orders, but with all the chaos I could barely even make out the words. "… _Ready_ …!" He howled. "… _Everybody_ …!"

I directed my swarm like an army. There was no emotion, no hesitation, just a relentless onslaught of insects.

No warning, no banter. I never saw the point.

I went for Pan first, using giant wasps trailing silk cords from all sides. Pan looked like he was about to jump into the air, but then hesitated. Instead, he pulled out an object from his coat and snapped it into the air. A gun, I realised when I heard the gunshots reverberating. Pan must have picked up a handgun somewhere.

Two of my giant spiders lost legs from his frenzied shooting, but that was meaningless. I had a two dozen more jump on him from the roof, each one as large as a small puppy. Pan screamed in panic, but then there was silks net being weaved around him with relentless efficiency, spider fangs poised to strike over his face, and armies of insects around him, each one clutching the ends of the silk cage to hold him to the ground. I felt my bugs turn weightless as he thrashed furiously but there were already so many surrounding him it was useless.

Wendy screamed in panic, trying to push back a horde of wasps that was attacking her, but then another horde got her from behind. There was no hesitation from me as the wasps jabbed stingers through soft flesh – just enough to be agony, not enough to risk her life. I heard her sobs and screams of pain.

Shadow practically collapsed to the ground under the first wave, unable to fight. I ordered spiders to secure him, just in case.

The others went down just as quickly. They were all screaming in mad panic, a few of them trying to rush towards the Lost Boys, but it was useless. My army was relentless and unstoppable.

I felt one of those men summon a jet of fire from his fingertips and scorch my bugs, right until the centipedes got him from behind. Another one, a large man, tore through my silk nets with ease, and his skin was hard enough that my spiders had trouble piercing it, but then extra strong nets and precision bites to the soft flesh took him down. Another one, a girl, screamed in terror and for a second there were three different phantasm duplicates of her, but my swarm took down her and all the copies without even pausing.

Realisation clicked. I _did_ recognise some of the other members – they had been at the villain meeting. They were capes from Boston, new triggers as well, but for the life of me I couldn't even recall any names. None of them had been significant enough to warrant remembering names, and I guess a few hadn't even came up with capes names. Apparently the Lost Boys must have just recruited some help.

Right now, I was willing to bet those capes would be regretting that decision.

 _Take no chances_ , I thought coldly. _I don't know most of their powers, but I don't really care_.

 _Cocoon them all_.

The 'battle' was as one-sided as it was short. There was about thirty seconds of screaming and panicking, followed by five minutes of muted terror as the insects never stopped swarming. Suddenly, there were fourteen shapes thrashing around a mass of insects that never stopped swarming. The floor of the warehouse was a carpet of skittering black.

Pan was the only one still yelling words. The rest had dissolved into incoherent panic. " _You bitch!_ " Pan screamed, as the webs kept on wrapping around him. " _You bitch!_ "

" _Enough!_ " My swarm bellowed. The sound of the bug-speak was deafening. I focused the mass of the swarm onto Pan. " _Where is Amy?!_ "

He screamed but didn't reply. His handgun was torn from his grasp. He had so many webs around him that he could barely even move his limbs.

" _Where is Amy?! Tell me now, or suffer!_ "

Pan's body clenched, his jaw tightened, but then, suddenly, he started to laugh. He was being strung up by mutant spiders and the psycho was _laughing_.

"Like I hell I will!" He screamed. "Where the hell are you, Queen Bitch? You don't even have the fucking balls to show yourself?"

One of the other cocoons, a man, broad shouldered, wearing a cheap dollar store mask was screaming. "Pan!" The man roared in terror. "This wasn't part of the plan–"

" _Shut the fuck up!_ " Pan snapped. "She can't hurt us! She hurts us and Amy is _dead_."

I growled slowly. My hands gripped the handle of the machete as I dropped it under my cloak and slowly started limping towards the warehouse. Pan really was going to make this difficult.

" _Anything that happens to Amy_ …" My swarm said dangerously. "… _Happens tenfold to you_."

Pan's face sneered. "Like hell it will, Queen Bitch."

I ordered my bugs to tighten their grip around him. Pan was trapped in more silk than any of them, with poisonous insects poised at every inch of skin they could. I could kill him in a second.

I wondered briefly how much pain so many insects could inflict. I wondered how much it would take.

" _Do I have to you hurt to make you tell?_ "

"Give it your best shot!" Pan snapped, his face twisted. "You know nothing of _pain_."

I pushed open the door with a load bang. The tide of bugs parted around me as I walked slowly towards Pan. I made sure that he could see me coming. I wasn't rushed, I wasn't panicked. Everyone in that building was securely restraint by silk cocoons and swarms of giant bugs around them.

I was quiet for a long moment as I stared at Pan. My voice was dangerously low.

"… Do you know something?" I muttered quietly, walking towards him. "I seriously have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do you if you don't tell me where Amy is. For your sake, _you really don't want to find out_."

Pan flinched, trying to thrash uselessly. "… Why do you care so much, anyways?" He snapped. "I took the healer, I thought it would piss you off, but no, you really _care_ , don't you? What, are you hot on the little bitch or something?"

My gaze darkened. "I _care_ …" I said warningly. "… Because Amy is a good person and she really doesn't deserve trash like you targeting her."

I slowly drew the machete out from under my cloak. My heart was pounding as I met Pan's eyes. I had bugs amplify my voice ominously while the swarm buzzed around me. "… Now I'm getting tired of asking. Where is she?"

Pan paused. He was practically snarling. "She's in the Arctic Circle. I went and dropped her off on the North Pole. Right alongside all the bears," he said finally.

He frowned theatrically. "…No, wait, I'm wrong. I _actually_ went out over sea and left her on an abandoned oil rig."

He pretended to think about it. "Oh no – that was a _different_ healer bitch," he said finally. My hands clenched. "With Amy, I went south, and I left her in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Or maybe it was on a mountain. Or in a volcano." He smirked. "Goddammit, you know, I really can't remember. All of the places that _I could have_ left her just really blur into one, you know?"

I didn't reply. He was grinning. "One thing's for certain – I sure as hell didn't leave her with any food, water or blankets. How long do you think she's going to last without help soon?"

My heart was pounding. _He's taunting me_. The thought caused my blood to burn.

"Now, I know what you're thinking…" he continued slowly. "… You're thinking 'hmm, maybe I get one of my Thinker friends or government buddies to track her down?' Don't fucking bother. I'm the only one who knows where I left her, and I don't have a trail to follow. Hell, I just picked a random direction and flew in it. You've got absolutely no way of ever finding her without me."

I felt absolutely hollow. _I've never tortured a man before_. The thought scared me. I wasn't even sure if I could.

Then, I met Pan's eyes and realised that I absolutely could. That thought scared me even more.

"… I will ask you three more times, _politely_ …" I muttered slowly. I refused to let Amy die. He only ever targeted her because of me, I refused to let her die because of me. "… And then I will stop asking… _Where is Amy?_ "

He growled. "You think I wouldn't die to just to spite your fucking corporate ass?"

I hesitated fractionally. "I could hurt your friends to make you tell me."

Next to me, one of the cocoons squirmed. A girl, fairly stout, wearing tattered clothes. She squealed. "Pan–"

"Shut up!" He snapped. "All of you, shut the fucking hell up!"

I glanced around the eleven newcomers. "New friends of yours?"

"New recruits, actually." Pan sneered. "In fact, _you_ introduced us. We met at that little gathering you held. They've been pretty interested in joining my gang."

I held the machete up fractionally. "Then you're all idiots!" I shouted, loud enough so the whole warehouse could hear.

"Oh, I disagree," Pan said coldly. "You really have no idea, do you? They _want_ to join up with me, because I'm _one of them_. I survived Boston. _We_ survived Boston. We survived the hell, we survived the floods, we survived every last piece of shit that came next, only to be left to starve when suddenly the government turns on us and says 'nope, you're just _inconveniences_ '. Do you have any idea what that was like, to be fucking left by the establishment to suffer?"

"Cry me a river," I snorted. "You're nothing but a monster trying to cling to a cause. Whoever follows you is a fool."

His eyes flashed. "What choice do they have? Join up with you and be _lackeys_? Join up with the Teeth and kill each other? I gave them another option – a way to make a difference. A way to _actually make something_."

"You've killed dozens – hundreds – of people tonight."

"Pardon me if I don't lose sleep over it. This city never gave a fuck about me, I don't give a fuck about it."

The moment paused. His eyes flickered from the other cocoons, towards back to me. Pan's eyes narrowed.

"Do you want to know what I promised them to get them to join up?" He said quietly. "I promised them _you_. I promised them that I'd kill you and make a name for myself. I promised them that I'd be big enough to make a difference."

The air was deathly silent. Barely anyone was struggling. Even the insects paused. "That's the whole reason I targeted you from start. I needed to make a name for myself, to put myself above the others." The grin widened. "And it worked too. Hell, the Fallen, the Teeth, even Diluvium isn't going to last much longer – you've been taking out my competition all night."

"So what…?" I said slowly, feeling my hands clench even tighter. "That's all tonight was for you? Just one giant _recruitment drive_?"

"I suppose you could say that," Pan sneered. I met his gaze. "Honestly, I _really_ went all out to try and kill you. I used up all my tricks going after you. I mean, how the fuck are you still alive? I dropped a fucking battleship on you."

"I'm special like that," I growled.

"Yeah, I suppose you are," Pan admitted. His smirk was growing. _I've seen that smirk before_ , I realised slowly. "… And I was just _obsessing_ over it; I mean, I've got a deadline coming up, and how the fuck was I ever supposed to catch you now?"

I never replied. I didn't like his gaze. He was still smiling, and there was a glint in his eye. No one swarmed by insects had any right to look that smug. "It was only then that I realised…" he said slowly. "Do you know, what's the only sure-fire way to catch a Queen Bitch…?"

His grin split his face. I frowned.

He continued slowly. "… You stand perfectly still, and you let her _ambush you_."

There was a long moment of quiet.

That statement… I struggled to understand it, but Pan was grinning. Pan started squirming, slowly and methodically trying to slip himself free from the silk webs.

I raised the machete defensively. "You stay still otherwise you start losing body parts."

He was grinning right as he yanked his hand free. "… I don't think so."

Without even hesitation, I ordered all of my bugs to attack. _Bite_. _Cripple him_. _Make him suffer_.

My heart went still as all of the spiders surrounding him never even twitched. Pan laughed as he slowly shook the insects off him, twisting himself free of the webs.

All around me, the others were squirming free as well.

I felt the dread creep over me.

 _Stop them. Restrain them. Bite them_.

Around me, the carpet of insects never even twitched.

I could still feel them, I could still feel the stream of feedback coming from every single bug with perfect clarity, but none of them were moving. _They aren't responding to my orders_.

I took a deep breath, trying to force the orders as loud as I could. **_Move_**.

"One thing you should know about me…" Pan said mockingly, as he ripped his feet free of the webbing. He had to leave his shoes behind as he slipped his feet out. "… I like to _talk_ in the middle of fights. It gives my main man Shadow there enough time to make the connection. You got her?"

"I got her," Shadow replied quietly, not even moving from where we was lying.

All around me, the capes started to move towards from all directions. They were crunching over bugs with every step. The insects weren't even moving.

I could feel the coldness creep through my body as the dozen capes walked towards me slowly.

"How…?" I gasped.

"I guess no one gave you the explanation?" Pan said smugly, dragging himself over the nets. His bare feet crunched over insects, but he didn't even seem to notice. "Shadow's powers – he can _shadow_ other capes. He makes the connection, only one at any time. Now, he can either use that to boost someone…" Pan opened his arms wide. "… Or he can restrict them." Pan pressed his hands together.

I slowly stepped backwards. A wordless agreement past between the group. I felt my heart nearly stop as I saw the figures surrounding me.

Pan was practically choked up with laughter. "… Yeah, the little healer bitch was pretty surprised by that one as well," Pan chuckled. "So was Alexandria, too, actually. We like to keep that little trick up our sleeve."

 _He blocked Alexandria_ , I realised suddenly. I suddenly remembered how quickly Pan had gotten the upper hand in the fight against Alexandria, how stunned she had been. _Shadow had been blocking her powers. Of course he had been._

My powers were still there. I could feel them. I could feel every bug, I could feel every one of their senses. They just weren't responding to any of my orders.

My army was surrounding me, and it was useless.

 _It was his plan from the beginning_ , I thought numbly, struggling to process it. _He had been desperate, so he took a gambit. He ran to where his friends were hiding, and he waited. He knew I had been frantic about finding Amy, he betted that I would try to interrogate him straight away rather than killing him or sending him to the PRT._

He played me. Pan completely turned the situation around.

Behind me, one of the capes, a fire generator, started to burn through every insect he could see. The Boston capes all had bite marks covering their bodies. They all looked shaken, pale faced, but they were angry, glaring at me, furiously. I was left powerless, vulnerable.

Wendy was gasping as she staggered up from the pile of inert bugs. "…Adam…" She wheezed weakly.

"Don't call me that, Wendy." Pan snarled. His eyes were fixed onto me dangerously. " _I'm Pan_."

 _Run_.

The thought cut through my shell-shocked brain. Outnumbered, and crippled. Backup was too far away. _I have to run right now_.

I turned and sprinted. I barely got two steps before Pan barrelled into me, sending me reeling with a backhanded slap to the skull. He turned massless to come in so fast I couldn't dodge, and then became heavy as he collided with me. The impact caused floor to spin. I hit the concrete hard.

Pan's foot was in my stomach a second later. The blow took my breath away. The machete slipped from my grasp.

"Come on, Queen Bitch!" Pan howled. "Let's end this, right now."

The capes were surrounding me, a wall of bodies blocking any escape. They circled me and Pan. One of them hesitantly took a step forward, and Pan shot him an evil glare.

" _Stand up!_ " Pan ordered, shaking himself free. His eyes were feral. "You and me, right now. You can't be the new meanest kid in the schoolyard unless you get rid of the old one."

My body trembled. Pain, shooting up from my ribs, I could barely breathe. The other capes were forming a ring. A fight ring.

 _He wants to fight me_ , I realised dumbly. _He wants to prove himself in front of his new recruits? Some sort of macho testosterone buzz?_

All I knew was that Pan was growling as he whipped his leg upwards at a kick towards my skull.

I tried to block, but then I felt the weightlessness hit me. At once, the world span and I was left shooting backwards. Physics stopped making sense. The air blurred madly, and then, two seconds later, I had bounced off the cape standing behind me and ended up twenty feet away. The disorientation hit me so hard I was nearly sick. The moment I felt gravity take over again, my legs stumbled and I tripped to the ground.

I could barely even process it as Pan's foot collided with my stomach again. This time, I just felt the pure, painful impact rattle my bones. I was left gasping on the floor.

"Boy, does this feel like déjà vu," Pan chuckled. "Me and Amy, well, we had a _lot_ of fun doing this as well."

Pain, could barely process it. Figures moving, too fast, couldn't even think properly. All I could hear was his laughter – that laughter – and then the next kick hit me.

…Foot. Pain. Concrete. Hurt…

I was left gasping for air, feeling my heartbeat race.

 _I need to run. I need to escape. I need some way of being clever, or distracting him, or_ –

The punch hit my jaw so hard I felt it crack. There was blood in my mouth. I felt a tooth crack.

 _I need to_ –

There was laughter as I collapsed onto concrete. They were laughing me. Laughing.

Just me, trapped in an abandoned warehouse, with a psycho beating me to death.

There was a grunt as Pan hoisted up a heavy object. It was a sledgehammer, over a metre long, thick wooden handle, with a bulky metal head - the type of weapon for heavy duty demolish. My heart raced as I saw him struggle to lift the sledgehammer off the ground. He had brought a sledgehammer. I had seen it lying on the ground, but I hadn't made the connection. I had dismissed it as junk.

 _He's planning on beating me to death with a sledgehammer_.

The fear soaked me to the bone.

– _Need to – need to_ –

I couldn't even think. I felt all rational thought fail me.

"Oh, this brings back memories of Amy too…" Pan said fondly, grunting as he dragged the heavy hammer over the ground. "Of course, she got a metal pipe. Still, since our resident metal pipe swinger isn't with us, I guess I just have to make do with this hammer…"

… _need to_ …

The hammer swung. I jumped backwards instinctively, but I still felt the metal head collide with my shoulder. If I hadn't have jumped backwards, it would have cracked my ribcage. Instead, I just felt the pain rocket through my spine as I crashed backwards onto the hard ground.

I screamed. The pain nearly caused me to blackout.

There was laughter around me. Laughter.

I was wheezing for breath.

…Hurt, body, not working, everything…

… Adrenaline, blacked out…

… Bone screaming, couldn't cope, couldn't think…

The fear just overwhelmed everything.

Pan was roaring victoriously, his bloody face absolutely psychotic.

" _Why don't you just admit it, Queen Bitch?_ " Pan roared. " _Underneath that mask, without all the scary insects, you're **nothing**!_ "

I felt the blood swelling up my throat. "… _nothing except a **scared, little girl**_."

...

The terror and pain blacked out my mind. For a second, all plans, all coherent thought, everything just completely failed me.

… Outnumbered, outmatched, outplayed, I had no plans left…

I felt something sting my eyes. _I'm crying_ , I realised suddenly. The thought was so strange. I could barely even remember the last time I cried…

"… You're right," I said quietly, my voice so low it was barely a whisper. "I am."

There was a long moment of quiet. I felt my heartbeat calm slowly into a steady rhythm. My muscles weren't trembling so much anymore.

I took a deep breath, carefully pulled myself off the ground, and then slowly raised my fists upwards.

"… This scared little girl is about to kick your ass."


	21. Evolution 07 (2)

**Evolution 3.07 (2)**

The building was so dark and gloomy I could barely see except for the flickering light through the grimy windows. I was just standing there, my shoulders slouched, in a filthy warehouse, surrounded by a dozen shifting shadows while droves of bugs still lingered uselessly on every surface.

Still, my attention was focused firmly on Pan. For a second, I saw him hesitate, momentarily, and then he punched forward.

If I didn't have my bugs on his body, I would never have kept up. I couldn't control the bugs, but I could still use them to track movements.

He grunted as he swung the sledgehammer around, but then he turned weightlessness for a brief moment to shoot forward. He rose the hammer above his head in a blink of the eye, but then he was heavy again as he was bringing sledgehammer straight down into my face. In the dim light, I glimpsed his eyes bulging with rage.

I spun to the side at the last moment, lashing out instinctively. I heard the distinct thud of solid metal colliding with the concrete floor. My fist collided with his shoulder weakly, but then Pan was already twisting around, spinning his sledgehammer with ease, while I shambled backwards.

A sledgehammer was a cumbersome weapon in a fight. It took two hands to swing it properly, it was too heavy to spin easily, too much inertia to change direction easily. He was broadcasting every swing, it was easily avoidable, and it completely shut down both hands. I should have been able to dodge it easily.

Or usually, at least. I only realised at the second swipe what Pan was doing. He was swinging it, making the hammer massless, accelerating it furiously, and turning it heavy just was about to split my head open.

There was no force required as it changed direction, barely a pause in his wide swings. It was as heavy as a wrecking ball when it collided, but in Pan's hands he wielded it with grace of a dagger.

I nearly cracked my skull as I practically tripped over trying to avoid a long swing. Behind, one of the capes jeered something, but I ignored it. They were all around me, a ring of figures shouting insults and cheering.

I could feel my heart starting to race again in panic. Pan's swipes were too vicious, too fast, I couldn't get close. That hammer would hit and it would splatter my brains out with a single blow, I didn't stand a cha–

 _Focus_.

I gasped, struggling to prepare myself. Pan hoisted the hammer upwards again, preparing himself to strike.

 _He can only attack using downward strikes_.

He needed to use gravity to attack, otherwise the sudden weight would just take it out of his hands. That was predictable, at least.

Pan lunged at me. I dived backwards to avoid a viciously fast downwards strike. It was only in that moment, when Pan's reach overextended, I saw the moment his grip shifted as the hammer became as light as candy floss. That was the moment I stepped forward.

I barely even felt it as the weightless hammer bounced off my thigh uselessly. Pan screamed shrilly, trying to turn the hammer heavy, but that completely upset his balance and he stumbled mid-swing. I grunted with pain and exertion as I brought both of my hands slamming straight into his chest. For a brief moment, I felt a solid impact, but then Pan himself was weightless and bouncing away.

He stopped five feet away, switching to heavy again with barely a stumble. He was screaming something at me. I didn't listen.

No point in running, I wouldn't get away. I took a deep breath to clear my head, I needed to think clearly. Focus.

Pan jumped forward. I jumped forward to meet him. We collided in a flurry of frenzied swipes and weak blows.

 _He swings light but collides heavy. Interrupt him mid-swing and he's useless._

He swung, I practically dived into him, so close I could only elbow him in the chest. He turned light to avoid it, but the sledgehammer shot straight out of his grip. The hammer flew from his hands and shot into the air, only to crash back out of the sky two seconds later. I almost dropped onto of him push him into the floor, and Pan growled and suddenly he was heavy again, colliding the floor painfully, but with enough mass to kick backwards and slam his foot into my chest.

It hurt, I barely felt. My mind flickered as I realised what happened.

 _If he's not careful, zero weight is just as much of disadvantage to him as it is to everyone else_. _He's good at changing states at the right moment, but he's not infallible._

Previously, Pan had always tried to control the setting and the type of fight, never attacking straight on, always playing to his strengths. As soon as you pushed him outside of what he expected, like charging into a swing rather than diving away, then he floundered.

"Fuck you!" Pan spat, bouncing off the ground and jumping to his feet. Flickering states quickly, going light to move, heavy to attack or change direction. It was all about the timing and balance with him. I had to learn how to do it too.

My breath froze as he leapt at me, hands outstretched. No way to avoid it, I just had to brace myself as suddenly –

Physics stopped making sense. I was shooting backwards, air rushing around me, spinning uncontrollably as my foot bounced off the ground…

 _Two seconds. His power only lasted two seconds_.

I was ready for the moment when it ended, but I still stumbled as my legs clattered to the floor, and the disorientation hit me like a truck. Still, I was up just in time to raise my arms as Pan tried to jump on me with a heavy punch.

I blocked, kicking him backwards as he shot out of the way. There was no force, he turned light.

 _He's fighting differently_ , I realised suddenly. _I saw him against Alexandria or when he was dropping cars, this was different_.

Before, it had been like Pan's whole body had covered in an aura that no one could touch without instantly turning light. It had made him almost invulnerable. Now, it was like that aura was focused only in his hands, and he couldn't apply the way he used to. There was a brief delay in that moment he tried to use his powers, it was slower, easier to predict.

 _He used to have a better mass limit, longer time of effect, faster, stronger powers, but that was gone_ , I thought slowly. _Instead, he's fighting differently. He's flickering states more often, maybe better fine control?_

Through the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Shadow, watching the fight some distance away from the circle of capes. I still couldn't control any bugs, they just weren't responding to me.

But Shadow could only affect one cape at a time. So long as he was blocking me, he couldn't boost Pan as well. No more throwing cars or instant death touches for Pan.

When Shadow was boosting him, Pan became nearly untouchable. I would be dead already if Pan still had that level of strength. Without that boost, though, then the restrictions of Pan's power started to creep up on him.

"What's the matter?" I said coldly. "You're not so tough when it's actually _you_ fighting, huh?"

His face twisted. "… And how would you know?"

Pan shot so fast he blurred. He jumped, he landed, he swung, he parried, he dodged and dived in again. Light, heavy, light, heavy, light, heavy.

My jaw trembled as his knuckles hit my chin. Heavy. I think I might have cracked another tooth. Still, somehow my body shot forward without even a hesitation. Pan's hands jabbed into my body and we both turned light. Still, we also went in the same direction, and then we were clattering on top of each other in a pile of thrashing limbs.

He was on the floor, I was on top of him. I heard screaming in anger as I punched downwards straight into his forehead. Back against concrete, he couldn't avoid that one. I heard the satisfying crunch of knuckles against skull.

He lashed and kicked out in pain. I thought the blow might have cracked his skull, but then he was up again, practically snarling as he dived at me.

 _Damn, he's a good fighter. He isn't as strong or even as skilled as someone like Brian, but he's fast, he's tough and he's scrappy – and that power of his more than makes up the difference._

"…You punch like a _girl_ ," he hissed, blood dripping from his face, rugby-tackling into me furiously. Suddenly, we were both massless, sent flying backwards into the far side of the warehouse.

The blood rushed to my head as I felt us dropping out of the sky from four feet up. Suddenly, Pan was on top of my, his hands wrapping around my throat. I gargled, trying to thrash madly, but it was useless. He turned me light and he stayed heavy, with his grip around my throat so I couldn't breathe, couldn't …

 _Think massless_.

My legs twisted upwards, pushing my back into the floor while my legs shot upwards. No gravity, but enough leverage and momentum to twist around. Pan was still gripping my throat, but then I was pushing my whole body into his, causing him to stumble as the lack of inertia sent me shooting backwards. He lost his grip and I was suddenly sent cartwheeling out from underneath him.

Two seconds later, and I dropped to the ground. Pan was left shambling from a bad position, he never reacted in time as I pushed backwards and slammed my fist towards him. The first punch was a feint, but it was could enough to make him flinch as I pushed myself so close that I could slam my elbow into his broken nose. Then, my knee was shooting upwards into his groin as we both crashed backwards into the ground.

I heard him howl in pain. "… You fight like a _bitch_ ," I hissed, through wheezy breaths.

My head was spinning. The disorientation was nearly crippling, even as I tried to clamber up again. I could feel the pounding in my skull, so painful I nearly blacked out.

We were both staggering off the ground, clutching weakly at injured foreheads and chests as he both dragged ourselves up. Pan's eyes were rabid, but he was a tough bastard. He was howling and cursing in pain, but I never saw it once affect his actions.

We glared at each, staggering to our feet. If I took Pan, I stood a chance at escaping. So long as he was the only fighting, I could take him down.

 _His advantages: stronger, angrier, more experienced with his powers, good powers for close combat, supported by his group. My advantages: desperate, better situational awareness from bug sense, early warning through bug sense._

 _I need to add more advantages to me_.

"Pan!" Someone called. The other capes were rushing towards us.

"Stay back!" Pan snapped. "I told you, she's mine!"

I hesitated slightly. Even I beat Pan, the others would still beat with my pure numbers. Fourteen against one, I wouldn't win…

My eyes narrowed as I focused on Shadow, the only one standing back from the fight. If I could take control of my swarm again, I could finish it. I just needed to get through Pan, and get to Shadow.

Pan stared at me, eyes narrowing, sizing me up. He could win if he just called for help, but he was too dumb, proud and obnoxious to even let anyone else intervene. Still, he paused, sizing me up.

"…Wendy!" Pan shouted after a moment. "Bring me my sledgehammer!"

The girl hesitated, but then rushed to grab the heavy hammer. I needed time to think, if I could just get through Shadow's power nullification. _No_ , I thought quietly, _he's not nullifying my powers – I can feel them still there, I can feel all the insects – it was more like he's just_ countering _my powers. Restricting them. Constantly interfering with my powers, stopping me from doing anything useful with them_.

 _So could I break through, then_? I took a deep breath as I focused on a single insect, ordering my abilities to take control. I could feel my powers screaming orders, trying to push through, but it was like Shadow was a wall in the way. I pushed, struggling to force the connection harder…

My head felt ready to burst. Too many brute force impacts to the head, too quickly. The pain was intense, I could barely think…

My hands tightened. I needed to focus on Pan. Get him talking. Get a bit more time. "… Just tell me one thing," I said slowly. "Amy, is she even still alive?"

Pan smirked. His teeth were bloody. Wendy was running towards him with his sledgehammer, but he never took his eyes off me. "Oh, she's alive." A slight pause. "Or at least, I _think_ she's alive. She was the last time I looked, anyways. She's a _weird_ bitch that one – I've got no idea how she survived, actually."

"What did you do to her?" I growled. The pain hurt, but focus. Needed more focus.

He raised his hands in mock innocent. "Hey – wasn't me. I wasn't the one who beat her skull with a metal pipe." His grin extended. "Oh wait, I _was_ the one, however, who dropped her out of the sky a little bit. Damn, she was tough little healer, you know? Didn't like to die, I guess."

"You beat her with a metal pipe and dropped her from the sky?" I snarled. " _Why?_ "

"Why? Because she deserved it," Pan shrugged, with a vicious smirk. "And it was _fun_."

And there it was. I felt the rage again.

I leapt at him so fast we both went cluttering backwards. We rolling around the ground, so hard that the other capes had to jump back to avoid us.

"Shouldn't we help–" One of them muttered hesitantly.

"Don't you dare!" Pan roared, diving towards me. He was punching, kicking and screaming "She's mine! She's mine, _mine_ , I have to make her feel it! I have to beat her–"

Struggling to drag myself off the floor I slapped out with a backhanded fist. Pan's eyes widened in surprise as the blow hit him, but he turned weightless to avoid it.

That was the moment I was waiting for. As soon as he went knocking backwards, I turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Running straight for Shadow. No one else reacted in time, I just changed targets and ran back towards the centre of the warehouse. Shadow hesitated suddenly, but I ran at him furiously. _If I could only stop him blocking my powers_ …

Pan howled. Behind me, he paused to pick up the sledgehammer, and then jumped massless, accelerating in the blink of an eye.

I didn't care, I was running full speed at Shadow. If I could just take down the Trump, get free of his powers, and then I could… then I could…

My head split open in pain. My powers were screaming at me. I went down to my knees in pain.

… _waves of data, screaming, so much feedback, senses overwhelmed as so much information_ …

Pan swung the hammer down. I blinked, diving instinctively to one side, as the sledge chipped a solid indent into the concrete floor with a painful thud.

I was gasping weakly. All of the information from the bugs around me built a perfect 360 degree awareness. I couldn't control them, but I could still use all my bug senses as Pan swung the hammer again –

 _The recoil. He has to turn heavy to stop himself flying from the recoil_.

I snapped my leg out at exactly the right moment. I felt my foot crunch into his stomach. Pan collapsed, dropping the hammer out of his hand as it clattered to the floor.

He rolled in pain, raising his hands to try and push me away. It was what he did. Every time he fell into a bad situation, he tried to turn me light to get out of it, but there was nothing I could do to avoid it as his hands shot towards –

 _The sledgehammer_.

Without even a pause, I gripped the handle of the sledgehammer with one hand and snapped out my fist with the other. Pan's hands pushed me in the shoulder, but I didn't turn light. His eyes widened in shock, my fist cracked against his chin and I pushed myself into him.

Pan's unboosted power had a mass limit. He couldn't turn anything weightless that was heavier than himself. He was scrawny too, but bigger than me, he weighed more and normally I was vulnerable, but so long as I was gripping the sledgehammer that was enough of an extra weight that he couldn't make me light.

 _Better position, I'm on top of him. Get him to the ground, and punch the living daylights out of him_ …

I nearly felt like I could cripple him, but then I felt the force push my legs out of me. I lost my balance and fell.

Wendy Wind. She was keeping her power discreet, but she was using it.

They were trying to pretend that Pan was beating me by himself – putting on a show for the new recruits – even as she helped with a telekinetic push. I could feel the force pushing me backwards, unable to stop…

…Pan recovered again, gripping my cloak tightly, holding me as his fists collided with my chest…

…I gasped, feeling the pain rocket through my body, but my head, my head was buzzing so much…

"Queen Bitch!" Pan roared, slamming me into the wrong position. "Not so tough now, are you, Queen Bitch?"

 _I'm not going to win this_.

The thought was so sudden it cut through the haze. Instantly, I was aware of absolutely everything that was wrong with this fight. My footing was lousy, my movements slow, my muscles injured. My position was failing, Pan was reacting to my moves better than I could react to his. My punches were desperate, I had better awareness, reaction times, probably better fighting style too, but Pan had the advantage in size and body strength. I couldn't match him in any wrestling match.

Combined that with the fact that Pan's power was much better suited at avoiding pain in a direct fight, and then there was Wendy's assistance against me, I knew instantly that this was a fight I just wasn't going to win.

Strangely, when I thought of it like that it wasn't so painful, or terrifying. It felt more like I was watching someone else fight, or playing a game.

 _It's a game I'm going to lose_ , I thought with shock. Another punch. He was pushing me up against the metal wall of the warehouse. I was transferring and burying all of the pain into my swarm, but the injuries were still stacking up quickly.

… _So how do I change the rules?_

At once, I felt my thinking change. It was like there was a supercomputer working away in my head. All of the data was flowing into it, all of my memories from the fight, the feelings of Pan's fists, and suddenly I felt it quick into action.

 _Avoid bad solutions, judge previous action, move towards possible alternatives. Fill the environment, extrapolate different scenarios…_

 _ **Optimise**._

I gasped weakly, but my body was already moving. At once, I slid out of my cloak, leaving Pan holding nothing but a silk sheet, dodging backwards with Wendy's push instead of trying to fight against it, all the while my hands got a better grip around the sledgehammer.

I staggering backwards, muscles groaning as I lifted the heavy hammer up off the ground. My hands were trembling, but I forced myself to lift it a bit higher, readying it to swing…

Pan's eyes flashed viciously. In the hands of anyone who _couldn't_ negate mass and inertia, a sledgehammer was a terrible weapon in a close fight.

"What the hell do you think you're going to do with that?" Pan said with a smirk, pacing forward. I could barely even lift it, but my arms were on autopilot as I started the swing…

… The warehouse was deathly silent, all eyes focused on me, staring at the little girl backed up against a corner, swinging a weapon she could barely lift…

… But I swung it anyways, letting the momentum take me and twisting my legs until I was swinging it backwards like a hammer thrower. The heavy metal sledgehammer collided with the wall of the warehouse with a resounding metallic bang. The recoil felt like it nearly shattered both of my hands.

My heart almost stopped as I saw the hammer head slam a heavy dent into the metal girder. For a second, absolutely nothing happened.

… And then we all heard the creaking as the rusted roof of the warehouse shuddered dangerously. The metal support had a knock cracked into it, and it was starting to creep.

"I could do that," I muttered breathlessly, staring into the surprise in Pan's eyes. The metal roof was still creaking and trembling. The warehouse was old, rusted and unkempt, the roof had already been giving way, and all it took was one good blow.

I had barely even realised that my powers had somehow calculated the spot structural vulnerability of the warehouse even in the back of my head. I had insects all over the building, tiny insects reading everything about how the building was standing up – I had all the data I needed, and then my powers just took that data and gave me intuitive knowledge of exactly where I needed to strike.

The warehouse was decrepit, and ruined long before I came in. The roof had barely been standing up. A good strike with a sledgehammer at the most vulnerable point was all that it needed…

A chunk of the metal sheet roofing collapsed. The whole wall behind me was giving way, and bringing the roof and upper floor with it. We were all standing on the bottom floor, watching all of that heavy metal tremble dangerously…

When you couldn't beat the game, change the rules.

There was screaming all around me. The capes started to run. I could have run, but I knew instinctively that it wouldn't be far enough.

The whole ceiling was going to come down, I could feel it creeping towards breaking point with every insect I had on the building. The capes that were closest to the exit might stand a chance, but I was too far away to make it.

– _In about fifteen seconds, I'm going to be crushed under tons of steel and the only person who can save me_ …

 _Pan_.

I charged at him while he was still staring upwards in surprise. He lashed out, but I took the blow and forced my way towards him, wrapping my hands around his shoulders and hugging him tightly.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Pan screamed, trying to throw me off. "What are you–"

" _Fly me away,_ Pan," I snarled, gripping him so tightly it hurt. His elbows and knees collided against me, but I didn't care, not when that ceiling was about to come down… " _Or you're going to get crushed right alongside me._ "

Pan couldn't turn massless to avoid it unless he turned me massless too.

If he wanted to save himself, he was going to have to save my life as well.

I saw his eyes widen in shock.

Behind me, the wall cracked and shattered. The roof dropped.

I blinked, and suddenly I was bouncing madly, still clutching onto Pan with arms around his torso, as the debris shot everywhere. As soon as the first chunk of metal hit the ground, the explosion of dust was enough to send our weightless bodies shooting backwards. Metal girders were dropping everywhere, but we were just bouncing off them like leaves in the wind before they could crush us.

Pan was screaming, trying to throw me off, while we bounced straight off a steel girder collapsing. The air rushing everywhere, dust sending us mad, I could barely keep track of our movements, while above the roof collapsed over half of the building.

I felt Wendy Wind run to the exit, while Shadow dived to the far side of the wall by the skin of his teeth. At least another four of Boston capes weren't so lucky, I felt them bodily crushed under tons of steel, like insects stamped out of existence.

The air spinning, the recoil bounced Pan and I upwards, spinning towards the wall at the back of the warehouse, while debris crashed behind us –

Suddenly, the weightless dropped and we both sent crashing to the floor painfully.

The dust sent me into a coughing fit. I could barely even breathe, and I felt blood swelling in my mouth. _I lost a tooth, one of my molars_ , I realised slowly. I saw the tooth in a bloody gloop as I coughed out blood. Right now, that was the least of my problems.

Pan and I ended up on what little remained of the upper floor of the warehouse, towards the back where the building was partitioned into rooms. The lower floor was just about completely crushed, and suddenly I had a clear view upwards into the sky. Half of the ceiling had been torn away, while the other half hung like a twisted skeletal structure of metal.

"… You bitch!" Pan gasped, lying winded on the floor. He wasn't looking too hot anymore either, though. " _You bitch!_ "

 _At least half of the other Boston capes must have survived, but they ran to the exit and there's a ton of wreckage between them and us now_ , I realised suddenly. I quickly laid out the topology of the half collapsed building.

 _They'll either try and get back in, or rush around to the other entrance, but that just leaves me and Pan alone for now_.

 _I have to finish this._

I was staggering onto my feet as I limped towards Pan, still on the floor. The sky was open now. Pan could flee any chance he got. I couldn't give him that chance.

Pan glared at me. "… _You bitc_ –"

Then, I was on top of him, punching him in the face. The first blow felt lousy.

– _Elbows in, twist the shoulder, hold him firmer, more power in the upper arm_ –

The second punch felt like it cracked my knuckles.

– _Readjust fist, change target, avoid hard areas like jaw and cheekbones_ –

And the third punch just felt so satisfying.

Pan was struggling, trying to wrestle me to the ground, while I wrapped my legs around, keeping him pinned. His face was bloody and raw. He had lost a tooth too.

He lashed out, twisting himself around, and then we both rolling on the floor, desperately beating the absolute crap out of each other.

"I'm trying to free people here! I have to get rid of the oppressors. _Clean the status quo!_ " Pan screamed furiously, pushing me backwards. "Don't you have any idea what I'm trying to do here?"

I didn't stop kicking and thrashing. My blows lacked power, but they were steady and consistent. " _I_. _Don't_." My voice was a growl. "… _Care!_ "

He roared and tried to push me away. I twisted inwards, hunkering down, covering my head, all the while keeping so close, hanging on to him so hard, his power was useless.

… At the end of the night, after all of the superpowers, the screaming, and the running, all it came down to was two scrawny teenagers, rolling around in a warzone and beating the crap out of each other.

I gasped, still feeling my head pound, but it was easier. I could feel streams of data coming into me – the force of every blow, the timing of every punch, every slight movement, and every body language, every pained scream and grunt – and my powers just handled it.

I was fighting for my life, feeling every punch of adrenaline and pain, but my powers just handled as if I was controlling my swarm. They were taking the information, directing my actions, and _they were optimising._

– _he grunts before he swings with his right arm_ –

I blocked his arm with one hand, taking the chance to get a better grip around him.

– _he punches with sequence left, right, right and left_ –

His right fist collided with my cheek.

– _he punches with sequence left, right, right and then either left or right_ –

Pan roared as he tried to throw me off, I took a better grip around his body, lashing out with knees and elbows because there was no space to swing fists or feet.

– _body tensing, preparing to twist positons_ –

– _he screams louder after nose collisions than cheek hits_ –

– _legs buckling, prepare for_ –

– _breathing pattern unsteady_ –

– _left arm is slower than right_ –

I almost screamed as the waves of information nearly caused me to black out. Pan pushed me off, while I still clutching my head, struggling to think through all the waves hitting me–

– _machete_. _He's going for the machete_ –

My eyes widened in shock. The machete that I stole from Shadow was littering across the floor. Pan was rushing for it.

My legs started sprinting. I wasn't fast enough, Pan darted into weightlessness enough to zoom through the air, skidding to a halt just as he picked up the machete from the ground.

I saw his bloody grin as he wielded the metal blade at me, pausing momentarily. I halted, almost tripping over the rubble and debris littering the floor.

There was a pause. Pan had the blade in his hand, pointing at me. I stopped suddenly. We were both wheezing for breath, our bodies slouched, but there wasn't even a hint of surrender in either of us. I had given every bit as good as I got in the fight and then some, but Pan was still standing, still fighting

 _He's a tough bastard_ , I thought quietly, watching Pan stagger through breath. His whole face was bruised bloody. Mine was too, underneath my mask. The sky was wide open, he could have flown away at any time, but he didn't – he wasn't about to flee when he thought he could kill me.

Then again, I didn't try to flee either.

There was a long moment of strange silence. "You bitch…" Pan growled wheezily. "… I'm going to kill you for this…"

"Give it your best shot," I panted, slowly raising my hands in a fake boxer pose. "I'm not letting you kill anyone else."

Around the building, I felt footsteps through my bugs. People coming closer.

"I'm doing what I need to do!" Pan snapped, eyes bulging. "They needed to die, they need to change! That's the only thing I've ever wanted – _change_. Right from the moment I picked up these powers, I've only ever wanted change!"

There were definitely people getting closer. Pan was still holding the machete, but hesitating as he planned his next attack. Still, something about that statement made me frown.

"'Picked up'?" I repeated quietly. It was a strange way to describe a trigger event, but just the way he said it… "What the hell are you talking about? What was your trigger?"

Pan scoffed. "Hmm. You've got no idea – I didn't fucking ' _trigger'_."

He paused slightly; he must have noticed the footsteps too. His eyes narrowed. "After Boston, I was left begging on the streets. Begging for just enough money to pay for Wendy's medication. Can you imagine that, _begging_?" He spat the word viciously. "And then, one night, this weird woman in a suit came by. She dropped a vial of liquid in front of me and then walked away without a single word – that's how I got my powers."

I blinked in confusion. The statement didn't make any sense, how could a vial give someone powers? There was no time to focus on it, I felt the figures running towards us. It was Wendy Wind, along with Shadow and half a dozen of the other Boston capes. They had escaped the collapsed, ran around the collapsed building, and towards the rear entrance still standing. They were coming straight for us.

– _approximately twenty seconds before they reach us_ –

The group collided with the door. The door was jammed by a chunk of debris.

– _approximately ninety seconds before they reach us_ –

Pan grinned, listening to the thuds as his gang tried to force open the door. As soon they arrived, I would be outnumbered again. I barely managed to react in time as Pan dived forward, swinging the machete downwards in a wild arc.

I felt the metal blade almost cut my shoulder open as I darted backwards. Pan kept on charging, swinging madly back and forth, trying to cut me into pieces. He had the advantage of reach now, I couldn't do anything except skitter backwards, desperately trying to avoid the metal edge.

My heart was pounding, even a second of hesitation and that blade would crack open my skull open…

– _left arm swings_ –

I twisted right, easily avoiding the blow mid-swing, getting just close enough to push Pan away. He growled as he nearly stumbled, before lashing around and preparing to lunge.

– _aiming for lower left chest_ –

I darted out the way barely in time, just as the blade slashed forward.

– _he_ _reacts to the right, prepare for undercut_ –

He tried to follow up the blow, but my body had predicted the move before he was even lunging. Instantly, punched him to the ground.

The waves of data in my head just didn't stop, but they calming into a steady flow, like a river of information pulsing into me.

– _calm breathing, relax abdomen, left arm too tight_ –

– _focus on eyes, he always flickers left as he attacks_ –

– _he favours wild swings followed by lunges, prepare for counter clockwise dodge_ –

– _his right leg is hurt, always stumbles with movement, attack from left_ –

Pan swung again. This time, there was barely even a conscious thought in my head as twisted to either side. Pan followed with swing after swing of wild, crazed strokes.

– _left_ –

– _right_ –

– _left_ –

– _left_ –

– _hard_ _left_ –

– _lunge with left foot_ –

– Pan screamed as suddenly my foot tripped him over, sending him scattering to the ground. He overreached himself, I knocked him over with ease. I was panting, but more out of surprise as I dodged between each swing like I had been doing it all of my life. Some of them came so close the blade nearly brushed against my skin, but I knew they wouldn't hit me.

 _My powers are optimising for him_ , I realised slowly. I wasn't breathing so hard, I didn't feel so panicked, instead my body just felt calm, but ready. My powers had already interpreted all of his behaviour, all of his stances, his instinctive reflexes, and they were improving my stances and movements to match.

I was controlling and optimising my own body as if it was just another part of my swarm. It was all just optimisation.

I hadn't been much of a fighter, but my god I was learning quickly now.

He charged. I saw it coming, I saw his body tense and his legs pulse as if I had been training for it all of my life. My powers were optimising quicker and quicker with every action he made. He swung the blade, but this time it didn't even come close.

I was sidestepping each swipe before he even made it, dodging each swing so easily it seemed almost idle.

"How are…" Pan gasped, his eyes suddenly uncertain. "… How are you…?"

 _Focus_ , I thought quietly. That stream of data in my head had been overwhelming, but I was standing to handle it. _I couldn't block it out, I had to let it flow_.

I nearly gasped as I felt the torrent of pure information hit me. I didn't even know what information it was, there was so much of it that it didn't feel like 'data' at all, it just felt like… felt like a _feeling_ … like a connection…

 _Like a connection to what?_ I thought confusedly, struggling even as my body moved on auto-pilot. The torrent in my head didn't stop, constantly increasing in intensity…

All around me, the whole, ruined warehouse started to squirm as every insect and bug started to move again. I felt the buzzing fill the air. The bugs were just moving aimlessly, but they were moving, and I could feel my control starting to come back, slowly – like overwhelming river eroding away a wall…

By the door, I heard Shadow scream in pain as he clutched his head. Wendy Wind looked panicked as she stared at all the bugs around them that were skittering again. Her cute little face was covered in welts and bites, her costume ruined.

"Shadow!" Wendy screamed, flinching away from the insects. "What's going on, you're supposed to be stopping her…?"

" _She's overpowering me!_ " Shadow bellowed, clutching his head in pain. His black full-body suit helped hide the injuries, but I knew they were there. "Her powers... it's like she's trying to force me out...!"

"What? How's that possib–"

" _I don't know!_ " Shadow snapped.

"Get the door open, quickly!"

The group was crashing against the door, trying to push the way the rubble. They looked scared, but they weren't breaking, and they were nearly through…

My attention was diverted as Pan screamed, breaking his normal pattern and trying to charge right at me. I saw the way his fingers clenched as he was preparing to apply his power, even as he brought down the machete.

I barely even registered I was moving. It was a move that a professional martial artist would be proud of. At once, I was dropping backwards to the ground to avoid his hand, even as mine darted upwards and clutched the collar of his scarf tightly. I collided with the ground rear first as his machete slashed downwards, but I dragged him down with me and at once I was twisting the out the way, letting the momentum take him over head as my over hand when for the machete handle and my knees kicked upwards…

I was left gasping as suddenly I cartwheeled straight underneath him, sending Pan crashing to the ground. My hand was now clutching the machete, tightening my grip. I disarmed him and kicked him away so fluidly he couldn't even react.

Pan turned weightless to avoid the collision with the ground, but the move still him breathless. He was clambering to his feet, looking more and more uncertain with every second. My whole fighting style was changing – I wasn't desperate and frantic anymore, it felt smoother, fluid. Optimising. Adapting.

We both stared briefly at the rear door. Pan's gang was nearly through…

I saw Pan's eyes. He wanted to kill me before his backup arrived. He wanted to be the big guy.

At once, his posture changed. He turned and ran, but I knew he wasn't fleeing. He had changed tactics, he decided that he couldn't beat me in close quarters, he was going for a new plan.

My eyes noticed it too late. Pan was rushing through the rubble, back where we had started the fight in the first place. I noticed it only by the bugs that were skittering around, while Pan remembered where he had dropped it.

The handgun. The same one that Pan had been using before my swarm disarmed him. He was running for the gun.

I couldn't dodge bullets.

– _run_ –

My legs sprinted. The gun was left between chunks of debris and sand. I was closer, but Pan had a head start.

We were both clambering over the damaged floor, struggling to move over the jagged drop as the upper floor of the warehouse broke away.

Still, then I saw the way his body tensed and I realised he was going to get there first. He would turn weightless, shoot forward, and grab it.

My heart pounded. I saw him shoot forward, I couldn't stop him, he was going to grab the gun and shoot me, I couldn't reach –

– _jump_ –

I felt the command hit me. There was no conscious thought involved. At once, my legs pounced forward, and the next thing I knew I was colliding with a shape in the air. Pan turned heavy to stop himself flying mad, and we both went crashing painfully to the ground.

My whole body screamed as I felt the impact jar my back. I heard something crack, but my arms were still wrapped around Pan as we wrestled…

… the gun was less than three feet away. His fingers scraped against the ground as reached for it…

… but the machete was in my hands. Without a second thought, I lunged.

Pan was there, grabbing the handle as well to stop the blade. We were both rolling over each other, next to the jagged edge of the end of the floor, struggling to get a grip with the sharp machete between us.

Pan was on top of me. He was bigger and stronger, trying to wrest control over the machete as he tried to push it towards me. The blade hovered, and then slowly crept towards me. My muscles strained as I tried to desperately to push it backwards. I could see the blade coming towards my neck.

"I've got you Queen Bitch…" Pan hissed, grunting each breath as we wrestled. The strain was killing me, my muscles could barely… "… I've got you…"

There was a banging from the door. The other capes were nearly in.

I was gasping. My hands were on the handle, but Pan's hands were over mine, forcing the blade downwards. I felt my grip slip just a little bit more.

– _move elbows together_ –

– _leverage shoulders_ –

– _right hand failing, push higher up_ –

Pan was screaming furiously, trying desperately just to push the blade down a few more inches. The machete wobbled…

– _readjust position, left arm higher_ –

– _twist handle upwards_ –

– _push upwards with abdomen, core muscles tighten_ –

I could feel myself getting better and better, constantly adjusting my leverage, exploiting my body stance, improving with every moment. Pan was trying to just force the machete downwards, but if I could take the advantage and better exert my strength…

Pan screamed as the machete's blade start to hover upwards. He moved his body to trying and force more weight down, and that was the only chance I needed.

At once, I kicked upwards, my knees slamming into this stomach, and then I was wrapping my legs around his torso as I twisted.

For once, I saw the absolute fear in Pan's eyes as I reversed the positions, pinning him to the ground with my legs around him so he couldn't turn me weightless. Still, I don't think that Pan could turn me weightless – the weight of me plus the heavy machete must be slightly more than he could manage.

The machete was still hovering between our chests, but it was creeping closer and closer to Pan now.

He was still pushing, but his movements were frantic, jerky, more desperate. He was kicking and squirming, but he didn't even dare take either hand off the handle otherwise it would slip straight into him.

I was forcing the better grip, twisting it until I was pushing straight down while he was at a wrong angle. He was bigger, stronger, but it wasn't about mass or size anymore, it was all about leverage. I was nearly there, he was nearly…

I hesitated fractionally as I realised that I was pointing a sharp blade straight at his chest.

Behind me, the door crashed. They were nearly through. Within seconds, all of Pan's gang would be on me.

I was staring into Pan's eyes. There was blood dripping from his face. I couldn't see obnoxiousness or anger there anymore – there was only fear.

We were both panting as the moment froze, the machete, in my hands, pointing downwards at Pan's heart.

"… If you kill me…" Pan forced, his voice low and pain. "… _I'm_ the only one who knows where the healer is… There's no trail…You will never find her in time."

My grip didn't slacken. I could feel the blood pounding through my body. They were nearly through, and they would outnumber me. _I wouldn't be able to fight them off_ …

… _not if I also had to wrestle with Pan at the same time_.

For a moment, the only sound in the world was the pounding off my heart and the heaving off his body beneath me.

"Do you hear me?" Pan choked. There was no anger in his voice, there was nothing left except pure, raw panic. The machete blade hovered. "If you kill me, she dies… if you kill me, Amy Dallon dies too…!"

My breathing was level. My whole body clenched.

"Yes," I agreed, my voice barely a whisper. "… I know."

With that, the machete plummeted downwards straight into Pan's chest.

He screamed. I felt the pressure hit me as steel chipped against bone. I was cutting straight through his sternum. Blood swelled everywhere. Pan lost his grip as he thrashed and he punched, but I barely even felt the blows as I twisted and pushed downwards with all of my strength.

It was harder than I expected it to be. I half expected the blade to just plunge right in. Instead, all of that muscle and bone was tough, and the machete wasn't that sharp.

I felt the painful grind as metal sawed against bone. I pushed harder, twisting it back and forth like a hacksaw. The feeling left me numb.

Pan was alive, thrashing and screaming, face bloated red, even as he heaved the blade slowly into his chest. He was gagging on blood, but still alive, still struggling…

Strangely, the sound of his gagging reminded me faintly of raucous laughter.

 _I'm killing him_ , I thought numbly, watching the scene as if it were somebody else's hands on the knife.

I remembered the list of all the people I had killed. Those had been accidental, or indirect. This one wasn't.

 _Guess this makes Pan my twelfth victim_ , I thought hollowly. His struggles were flimsy now, weaker, like a body thrashing on impulse, while the blood splattered and gurgled everywhere…

There was a crash as the others forced there were through the door. The charged into the shattered warehouse, just to stare at me pushing a machete through their leader's chest. Wendy was at the front of the group, her eyes wide.

" _NO!_ " Wendy screamed with pure rage and grief. There were tears in her eyes, I noticed vaguely. Her hands shot upwards, and I felt the force hit me.

It knocked me over Pan's still body and I stumbled. I could feel it pushing me, like a firm gust of wind, but there was nothing to hold onto nothing to grip as I slid slowly towards the edge…

Then, my hands gripped around the firm handle of Pan's handgun. I was pulling it upwards and pulling the trigger without a second thought.

The gunshot echoed through the building.

 _I could have shot her in the leg_ , I thought numbly. _I could have hit her in the shoulder, or arm. There was absolutely no reason why it had to be a kill shot, there were absolutely plenty of ways that I could have taken her down nonlethally_.

Instead, there was no conscious thought involved as my arm pointed straight at her head.

I never even aimed, I never even thought about it, my hand just moved and my finger pulled the trigger.

And then Wendy Wind was collapsing to the floor with a bullet straight through the middle of her forehead.

The whole building was quiet for a moment. My heart was beating so fast that everything seemed in slow motion, watching the girl's body collapse…

There were eight others, Shadow along with seven Boston capes – all staring at me at shock. I never knew their powers, I never even knew their names. I didn't really care, either.

 _Fuck it_ , I thought numbly. _Once you kill over a dozen people it's pretty pointless keeping track_.

The gun shot twice in quick succession. I had never really fired a gun before, but my aim was dead on. Weirdly good shots, actually, but with my swarm sense my spatial awareness was perfect.

Before they even had time to flinch, there were two teenagers, a spotty teenager in a jacket and a tall one with a goatee, dropping to the ground with only a blood splat and a gurgled gasp.

At once, I was staggering off the floor, with a gun in one hand and a machete in the other.

I saw Shadow turn and try to run. The five other capes either reacted too slowly or were dumb enough to try and fight me.

One of them raised his hands and a torrent of fire gushed out of his fingertips towards me. A fire generator. I shot him in the head first as I clambered towards them. _I barely even needed to aim_ , I realised slowly. _I just hit_.

Another cape, a big man with broad shoulders and a dollar store mask, tried to intercept me. I shot him in the forehead, but I heard the bullet ricochet off his skull. _Hmm, Brute_ , I decided, before dropping to the ground, and kicking out with my feet. He was still dazed with from the gunshot, couldn't react in time as I kicked him to the ground.

 _Good durability, not so much super strength_ , I thought emotionlessly, as the Brute tried to clamber up. Before he could I was there with my machete, jabbing the tip of the blade twice, straight into his soft, fleshy eyeballs. I vaguely heard the scream and he tried to thrash in pain, but I easily avoided the blows. He howled blindly, and then I took the chance to slam the nozzle of the handgun straight into his open mouth and pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through the top of his mouth, into his brain, but didn't come out the back of his skull. The gunshot still reverberated in his head and pulverised his brain. The man collapsed limply.

 _I'm running out of bullets_ , I noted, as I moved onto the only three capes still standing. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had been counting the bullets – I only had one bullet left now. I decided to save it as I lowered the gun and hoisted up the machete.

The first one tried to scream – some kind of supersonic scream power, I guess, it definitely hurt a bit. Still, it took him a couple of seconds to warm up, and my machete was splitting his skull open like an eggshell before he could reach full-power.

The next one, a duplicator or illusionist of some sort. She was a fairly stout, podgy girl that made copies of herself, trying to distract me. I never found out if the copies were solid or not – I had bugs on the original that led my straight to the original as I plunged the blade straight into the stomach. I saw her guts slip out of the wound as she collapsed.

 _It was definitely easier going stabbing in the stomach rather than the upper chest_ , I noticed. Less bone there, the blade slid in much easier.

The final one, a short, skinny guy with neck tattoos, tried to stick me with a knife as I finished off her. I felt him coming, and I easily sidestepped out of the way, pulling the machete out and swinging it so hard that I cut the teenager's hand straight off in a single swipe. He dropped to the ground with the severed limb, but I noticed strangely that there wasn't so much blood and the wound seemed to be closing quickly. _A regenerator, then_.

There was no time for him to react as I twisted the machete around and stabbed it straight through his neck, severing his spine. He dropped to the floor. Just to be on the safe side, I left the machete sticking out of his throat.

It was only afterwards that I figured I had bug swarms that might have helped me. Strangely, I didn't really feel like I needed them.

It was over in less than a minute. They had all been new capes, uncertain, weak with their powers. It hadn't been angry or desperate, just fast and bloody. I barely even registered the blood, I just felt numb.

 _My whole body was beaten and bruised. I'm pretty sure I've got fractured ribs, and a broken leg_ , I told myself numbly. My powers were focusing out the pain, but the injuries were still there. _If I had shown any hesitation, they could have taken me easily_.

… _I just don't feel strong enough to be merciful anymore_.

It was only after a few seconds that I realised the other figure who had been trying to creep up on me. I flinched as I pulled the handgun up, but then lowered it as I recognised the dark hood.

Shadow Stalker looked stunned as she phased through the wall, still clutching a loaded crossbow. "… Um…" Shadow Stalker muttered, certainly uncertain. "… Lisa sent me here to help you?"

 _You're a bit late_ , I would have retorted, but the words felt bitter in my mouth. I glanced around the dead bodies scattering me with a frown. My whole body felt so numb I could barely breathe.

The thought of Amy flashed before my eyes. My hands clenched and I grit my teeth, but I couldn't feel angry anymore. I just felt cold.

"I'm good," I muttered quietly, before turning around and limping away.

Shadow Stalker stared between the seven corpses littering the ground, the collapsed warehouse, and my blood-soaked clothes.

" _Holy shit_ …" She exclaimed breathlessly after a few seconds. Her voice was thick with awe. "… You are one badass bitch."

I didn't reply. I just kept on walking.

 _There's only one person left_ , I thought angrily, glancing at the night sky. _I have to end it_.

I felt Shadow running away, sprinting frantically as he tried to escape. I didn't sprint, I just limped slowly. I felt him turn around the alley through my bugs. I went around an adjoining alley, cutting off his escape as he tried to run towards the main route.

As soon as he turned the corner, I was on him. My hand outstretched as I gripped his jacket and slammed him headfirst into the wall. Shadow Stalker followed, almost hesitantly, but I really didn't need her help.

I slammed Shadow up against the wall. He was begging something almost incoherently, but I never heard it. With one hand, I ripped the mask off his face and with the other I pressed the barrel of the gun against his forehead.

It was the first time I saw Shadow without his mask. He was young, a teenager, with dark hair, tan skinned and distinctly Latino features. His cheeks were pale as he stared at me with absolute horror. My mask had been dyed with blood.

"– I'm sorry, it was all Pan's idea, I never meant to go so far!" Shadow squealed frantically, dropping into the wall, hands raised. "Oh god, please don't kill me, I just –"

"Shut up." My voice was a growl. The gun didn't twitch. "I want you to boost me."

He stammered, blinking repeatedly. "… What? I d–"

"That's what you do, right? You either restrict or you extend a person's powers." My voice was cold. "So you are either going to stop blocking me and start boosting me, otherwise I'm going to shoot you."

There was a long moment of silence. My voice wasn't loud, or even threatening, just matter-of-fact. Shadow Stalker hovered behind me, looking absolutely stunned, while Shadow stared at me with a mixture of horror and panic. The night rumbled quietly in the distance.

"… I think that letting you shoot me might be the safest option here," Shadow said finally, his voice a whisper.

I shrugged, pushing the gun further towards his head. "You've got five seconds to make that decision."

There was a moment of quiet. Mentally, I started counting. I reached three before Shadow closed his eyes, and appeared to concentrate.

At once, I felt the restriction on my powers lift. Instantly, all of my bugs were following orders again, rushing to obey commands as they dropped into file. It felt somebody was taking a chain off my powers, allowing them to expand.

And then, they just kept on expanding.

I gasped as suddenly it felt like I was shooting up into the clouds, looking downwards as I stared at the coastline, viewing the entire city as a bulk of black, skittering shapes…

...

 _Expansion. Awareness. It was like I had been living with one eye closed and suddenly they were all open. I saw the world like I had never seen it before._

 _Extend. Almost tentatively, I reached out with my abilities, feeling the tendrils of sensory perception and information, feeling the world squirm around me. Images hit me, thoughts, data, metadata…_

 _Growth. I reached out, feeling the world crumble around me, previous restrictions slipping away. It wasn't frightening, it felt more… more like freedom. It was like becoming whole, stripping away a skin prison that just didn't fit…_

 _It felt like an insect bursting out of its cocoon._

 _Everything kept on expanding, taking new form…_

 _..._

I heard screaming.

I was screaming. My hands were on my head, keeled over as I screamed in pain. The pain was so intense that I couldn't even process it, it was more like the afterimage of pain. The faint memory of a pain so intense that it was unimaginable, like something bursting out of my head.

In the distance, I heard Shadow Stalker bellowing at Shadow, wielding her crossbow. "What are you doing?!" She demanded. "What are you doing to her?!"

" _I don't know!_ " Shadow shouted in panic. "It's never had this much of an effect before, I don't –!"

The words disappeared. I felt it pulse again, my powers extending, harder and faster, like a jet engine pushing away from me. It was more than I had ever…

...

 _Experience. So much experience. No more cages, I could finally stretch myself._

 _I was everywhere. I had six legs and solid carapace, mandibles snapping as I skittered over rough soil. I was in the ground, with rough, spineless segmentations as I pushed through dirt, my body wriggling. I was in the ocean, salt water around me, swimming with fleshy shells and pulsing appendages through the current like dirt in the waves. I was sitting in my web, multiple eyes passive, poised but relaxed, as my hairy, eight-legged body curled and waited._

 _I didn't know why, I didn't know how it happened, I didn't know a thing. I just knew my purpose and knew what I had to do._

 _Learn._

 _ **Optimise**._

 _ **Control**._

 _..._

My body sagged as I blinked furiously, trying desperately focus. I could feel my range extending with every second.

One mile. Two miles. Three miles. Four. Five. The distances just felt meaningless, though, as if it was only the amount my tiny little mind could focus on. It just all washed away in the pure tsunami of information. I could barely even keep track as I felt my powers grow.

In my head, it was like a could see a whole topographical map of the entire city built of insects, right down to all the insects crawling deep within the earth.

 _Seven miles_ , I realised vaguely. I had a radius of seven miles, but even that was still creeping outwards slowly. It was so large that I could even feel the slight curvature of earth in the landscape, extending from one edge of the city to the other. The thought sent shivers down my spine.

It was like a god's eye view of absolutely everything.

The numbers hit me. They were absolutely mind-boggling huge. Even I had never _really_ comprehended just how many bugs there were in the world.

It wasn't millions, or even billions. It felt like _trillions_.

I couldn't count them all. I couldn't count them in the same way I couldn't count the cells that made up my body, but my powers just controlled them all. It felt like being more than just a person, it felt like drifting away into a pure mass of information and control.

No, it was more than just control. It felt like the bugs were a part of me; like I wasn't a teenage girl anymore – I was the swarm. Every single bug was just some appendage of mine, like fingers or tendrils groping out from a huge, invisible body…

 _Focus!_ It was so hard to even direct my powers, like trying to steer a cruise ship. I could even feel the delay it took for the orders to pass through the entire swarm, there was a lag. Still, they responded – they all responded to my command, like an army stirring into motion.

 _I need to focus_ , I realised suddenly. I knew I was still physically kneeling in a dark alleyway, but it was so hard to focus on the scene around me when I felt like a huge entity seven miles wide.

I had barely had a reference left, every second threatened to wash me away on the immense tide of data. _I need a purpose, I need a direction._

 _Focus on my city_. I knew my city; I knew the buildings, I knew the layout. Brockton Bay had to be my anchor.

The world scaled into view. I saw everything take shape, the buildings sketched out by the bugs that were in them, but I had to focus my attention on a point.

I saw it. Right in the centre of the city, a hundred thousand bugs were reporting scenes of chaos – of wind and of explosions and figures shooting through the air and firing lasers.

 _Diluvium._

 _I need to focus on Diluvium._

At once, an uncountable number of insects shifted into motion. The feeling of that much complete _control_ was exhilarating, terrifying and so weirdly natural it boggled the mind. I could feel the small, limited part of me protesting, still clinging onto my human body, but the rest of me was everywhere – an army of bugs and insects, a consciousness so vast it was legion.

I could see Diluvium. The man was a force of nature in his own right. He was screaming, standing in what used to be the centre of city as wind, explosions, debris and water burst from his body. The tornado still raged around.

The tornado roared, while around him there were capes shooting through the air. Every hero in the city and then some – every hero that could respond in time – was coming to Brockton Bay, more arriving every second, and Diluvium was facing off against them all.

The heroes felt so small I could barely even recognise them. I think I saw Alexandria trying to plummet through the winds and explosions to wrestle him, while more and more capes appeared in absolute frenzy. Eidolon wasn't there, at least, but there were plenty of other heavy hitters, so many it was difficult to make out any figures in the clutter of explosions.

It wasn't a formal, organised assault like against an Endbringer, though; it was a disorganised mess that had caught absolutely everybody off-guard. The situation was probably Class A yet still rising, but the PRT was in shambles, the response was chaotic, and between the riots and the other chaos I could believe why everybody was in mess. Diluvium took advantage of that, pushing himself as far as he could possibly go and carving a huge scar through the city to prove it.

Diluvium was an absolute beast – he seemed intent on fighting every hero in America and, from the looks of things, _he was_ _holding_.

 _But he can't possibly hold against_ me, I thought coldly, feeling weirdly detached as I surveyed the scene as an unearthly entity. As big and as powerful as Diluvium was, I was bigger.

Around me, every wasp, bee, beetle, moth – every flying insect within seven miles – took to the sky and converged towards a single point.

The buzzing started of low, but became deafening.

I felt the collective gasp of the whole city as the swarm of black blocked out the sky.

 _Force of nature_.

My concentration tightened as I forced my insects into formation, pulsing around me. The swarm took minutes to gather, moving together from miles away, but I could barely even keep track of time. I forced the bulk of insects together, tightening it into a huge column of mass that spiralled up into the air, larger than any skyscraper.

Around me, I felt panic. I felt screaming and I felt pandemonium, but I didn't care. They felt like insects to me now.

The swarm was my body. I was flying through the air, built of a mass larger than the eye could see, so many buzzing wings and fluttering that the ones in the centre were suffocated by the size of it. I shooting up into clouds, before spiralling around, returning back towards the earth in a black cloud of bugs.

Almost idly, I reshaped the swarm into the shape of a hand, outstretched and so large that it could have clutched the entire city centre. The palm itself was larger than a football stadium as I brought the hand of bugs downwards…

It crashed downwards like the hand of god, swatting downwards into Diluvium, crushing his tornado and all.

I felt the shredding wind kill millions of bugs at once, but that didn't matter because I had _billions_. The mass of bugs just forced their way through. The insect corpses dropping out the sky was like a flood.

I felt Diluvium screaming, unleashing explosions, debris and floods one after another, desperately trying to keep the swarm away. I just kept on pressing downwards, ordering every bug to charge blindly to their deaths – a billion suicide troopers scratching and clawing against the elements to try and reach the man inside.

I felt Diluvium's onslaught start to slip. He was running out of mass, but so desperate he ejected anything and everything to even keep the swarm away – like a man splashing water against an unending swarm of black clouds. The bugs didn't stop. There were so many of them they could just crush him with the pure mass of so, so many tiny bodies.

Then the slower bugs, the ants and spiders reached Diluvium as well, crawling both on the ground and underneath it, breaking through from the earth and swallowing him whole. He didn't stand a chance after that.

I felt Diluvium being consumed by the swarm, choking on the pure mass of insects, still frantically trying to claw his way out of the tidal wave of black.

Just like that, the roaring of the tornado and the explosions disappeared, and the only sound was the unholy thunder of a legion of bugs clicking and buzzing.

I felt every civilian and cape staring at the clouds of bugs, still growing in size over the city, with a mixture of awe and terror.

As soon as Diluvium looked like he was about to stop squirming, I ordered my bugs to retreat. He was still trying to breathe desperately, his face bloated, as the ocean of bugs parted and he dropped to the ground. Still alive, but barely, and completely empty ready for PRT custody. I was willing to bet I gave him something more than just Leviathan to fear.

 _More_ , I ordered, as the bugs skittered into shape, a black gloop rolling through the city. I could feel the entire city. I could feel every burning building, every mob that was still going, every looter, every single person that was keeping the riots going.

I ordered my bugs to end it all.

Every single person in the city that my powers recognised as being disruptive, I swarmed mercilessly. Every single one, all at once.

My swarm voice said only four words – four words so loud they were deafening – as they descended onto the city like a plague of apocalyptical proportions. A biblical reproduction.

" _ **YOU MADE ME ANGRY**_."

The riots ended very quickly.

...

I blinked repeatedly as I felt myself return to my body. The boosting effect was wearing off slowly. I could still feel my extended range, but it was changing, narrowing – as if some of the walls were returning gradually and I was falling back into my body.

I was back in the alleyway again, kneeling on dank ground as I stared at my hands in shock.

For the first time all night, the city felt deathly quiet.

Next to me, Shadow was staring in shock, his mouth hanging open. Shadow Stalker was covered by the hood, but even she nearly dropped her crossbow as she stared.

I took a deep breath as I slowly pulled myself off the ground, and brushed myself off.

"… It's done," I muttered, before dropping the handgun onto the ground and limping away.


	22. Evolution 08

**Evolution 3.08**

Four days later.

I inspected around the building through thousands of tiny little eyes as I waited patiently. Overall, I think I had done a fairly good job. Somer's Rock patched up nicely.

It had taken an army of insects to repair the tattered old bar. It had taken spiders webs joined with legions of worker ants to hoist the ceiling back up, and termites to reshape the wood. Bees provided honeycomb structure for support, while wasps and flies hooked webs over structures while droves of disposable slugs and worms provided nourishment for my workforce. I remembered exactly how it had looked, and I ordered my swarm to put it back together again as best they could.

There had barely been anything left of Somer's Rock after the last villain meeting. The place had been collapsed, burnt down, and exploded in the resulting brawl. Still, I had come there early, ordered my swarm to get to work, while I settled down and just waited patiently.

Overall, I was fairly happy with the results. You could still see the scorch marks, the walls were charred, and everything was… grimier, but the bar was standing again. Even with an army of insanely coordinated, tiny, relentless workers, it had still been a lot of effort.

Still, I had to be here. Somer's Rock was a legacy more than a location.

When I was ready, I moved into position, and patiently closed my eyes to wait.

I had some time. I was early. With nothing else to do, I later picked up a folder of papers, and slowly started to read through them. I had been reading and rereading these papers a lot lately.

It was a folder of casualty reports and kill orders.

At the end of the riots, the death count reached four figures. The reports were still rough, the rescue crews were still digging through the rubble, the hospitals still overflowing, but the initial death counts were in. Coil had supplied it for me, he gave me the pre-release version.

 _It felt almost surreal_ , I mused quietly. I was reading from the calm, dispassionate reports on how people had died, and it felt so hard to link it to the chaos and destruction that I had ran through. Still, I read through it slowly, trying to visualise the circumstances, all the while tallying up the deaths in my mind.

The Fallen came out pretty high. There had been fifty-seven men that Valefor had hypnotised and sent to their deaths, and very few others had actually made it out alive. There were thirty that had died in the explosion, eighteen that Cutthroat had chased down.

At least four of the others had died by my own hands; I had beaten them bloody, assaulted them with insects, and left them unconscious and wounded to bleed out in a burning alleyway. Perhaps if I had been gentler then those men might have recovered from their hypnotism and still been alive. Still, at this point those deaths were only just a drop in ocean.

The Teeth had a lower death toll, but a larger number of injuries. There was one men that had been crushed underneath a hail of Spree's clones, and another that had later suffered a heart attack, cautiously attributed to Hemorrhagia. Another two had been trampled to death in the panicked crowds, while otherwise there was just a very large number of broken bones and fractures.

There were also another four fatalities along that street, bodies mauled and mutilated, that had been attributed to Animos, but personally I was more inclined to suspect Cutthroat.

I turned the page slowly. After that, it turned into so much damage that nobody had really been able to add it up all yet.

Diluvium, by far, caused the most property damage, but he was surprisingly light on actual deaths. He flooded half of the Boardwalk, pulverised a chunk of the Docks, and then carved a huge scar through towards the city centre. Mind, most of the areas he had been fighting in had already been evacuated, which brought Diluvium's kill count down to a 'low' number of thirty-three.

Mind, three of those deaths had been heroes. An independent hero from outside the city took a chunk of rubble to the head, one Ward from Chicago got caught in the winds and thrown half a mile, and even a Protectorate member from New York, a man called Adamant, ended up drowned under Diluvium's waves. Those three were all big black marks on Diluvium's profile, as if the deaths of heroes mattered so much more than any regular civilians.

Attached to Diluvium's profile was his kill order. It had been signed and released quickly, although not quick enough to gather a coordinated response against him. After Diluvium went down, his kill order was redacted and he had been brought into custody instead.

Despite everything, though, Pan still ranked higher. Forty-seven people had still been trapped in cars when Pan had dropped them over the city. However, a whooping four hundred and fifty seven people had died when he dropped the ship out of the sky. Honestly, that could have easily been higher.

A hundred fifty kilotons dropping ten thousand feet had been the impact of approximately a thousand metric tons of TNT. It had gouged a hole so deep in the city that they still hadn't been able to evacuate the bodies or the debris. They were now referring to it as 'The Crater' – an impact so large it would have to be added to the maps.

There had been a church nearby, in the blast radius, where a large group of innocent civilians had tried to shelter from the riots. There had been no survivors.

Pan had taken pretty much everyone by surprise; they had still been reeling from Diluvium when Pan hit everybody hard. Pan's kill order had been issued in almost record speed, yet it was still too late. His kill order had actually been issued even after he was already dead, but it had taken them a while to find the bodies.

I hesitated before I turned to the final pages in the folder. Right at the very front, was an official sheet of paper with a very short, concise description. The words 'SKITTER, Brockton Bay' were printed on the top.

My kill order was the last one on the pile. Every time I looked at it, it made me queasy.

Overall, I ranked almost as high as anybody. There were two hundred and thirty civilian deaths attributed to me from that night.

It wasn't really surprising, after all. I launched one of the biggest swarms of bugs anyone had ever seen onto the city, attacking almost discriminately. There had been thousands of rioters buried underneath the swarm that night, all across the city. It wasn't really surprising that a lot of them didn't make it out.

Some had died from anaphylactic shock or allergic reactions. Some had died in the panic as they tried to run away. Some had just died from heart attacks as the swarm washed over them.

I hadn't really intended on killing anybody, but it had been one hell of a big swarm.

Brian's words echoed in my ear quietly. _The scary bit is how really, really_ easy _it was too kill someone_ …

That should have earned me in a kill order quite easily. The PRT really didn't like anybody who could destroy whole ecosystems.

Still, the only difference was that my kill order hadn't yet been released. It had been drafted, but it hadn't yet been signed or approved by the directors. They were holding off on that one, but the pre-release kill order was now firmly on the table, hovering over my head like a gun that hadn't yet been cocked. Perhaps they were just waiting to see what happened next before they authorised my death.

The PRT had come down hard afterwards. They might have reacted too slowly on the night, but they overcompensated afterwards. For a while, both Eidolon and Legend had been spotted flying patrol over the city and the military was on high alert, but it was pointless. Everything was already over, and the Undersiders had slipped away into hiding along with the rest of the chaos.

Nobody had expected things to go as badly as they had – both Pan and Diluvium revealed strength and craziness that nobody had expected, and nobody had expected Alexandria to fall. Their whole response to the situation had been unprepared and chaotic as soon as the real violence escalated. The Class S situation was only just declared and the response had still only really been ramping up by the end of the night, as useless as it was.

After that, the PRT had come down hard with force, finally getting their act together to bring the hammer down. Perhaps they intended on making a statement, but the it was moot. Brockton Bay had already gone to ground by morning.

The apocalyptic flood of insects had ensured that. _I_ had made the statement, not them.

Every news broadcast in the country had been showing the dark swarm dropping from the sky almost on repeat. The media was gone mad with that image of a cloud of bugs dropping from the sky. I had to stop watching the TV as it started to get to me. The response was vaguely terrifying.

There were lots of reasons that kill order should have been signed already. A lot of the media was already painting me as the next Nilbog. Perhaps they didn't because some part of them recognised that I had ended the riots. Or perhaps they were just cautious about pushing me any further.

Then again, it was more likely that it was because Shadow had been brought into PRT custody and they realised that it was his power boost that resulted in the flood. Shadow Stalker frogmarched him into the headquarters, and once his abilities were been revealed then it must have caused an uproar in its own right. Power boosters were rare, and power boosters like Shadow were almost mythical.

The PRT only left my kill order unsigned on the expectation that I would be back to being the normal, weak little bug villain. Still, they left that kill order lingering around just on the off-chance that I wasn't.

It was a sobering thought.

There hadn't really been a choice not to send Shadow over to the PRT. Keeping him would attract a lot of attention that I really couldn't handle right now. Besides, I didn't trust him, and I didn't trust his powers. The PRT was better off with him, anyways; they could put him next to Eidolon at the next Endbringer attack and then maybe he could do some good.

Overall, the city, and local bug population, had taken one hell of a battering…

Around me, I felt footsteps through my bugs. The movement shook me out of my own head.

There was no more time for musings, I had to concentrate. Too much had changed too quickly. The city was quiet now, but it was still in flux. Nobody knew who was in charge in anymore.

Things might be quiet at the moment, but sooner or later that old chaos would rise up again. I had to stop that from happening now.

I felt the first figures approaching nearly an hour later. They were approaching slowly, cautiously, armed to the teeth with black masks and hoodies, but they were coming. They were all coming towards the newly rebuilt Somer's Rock, and towards me.

For the second time in a week, the villain's meeting was about to begin.

 _I suppose I know what I'm doing now_ , I mused quietly. Last time, I had felt so nervous, so desperate to keep control, whereas now… I don't even know. I guess I just wasn't as bothered.

They were hesitantly coming through the door. There were a lot of them lingering around outside. I hadn't specified a maximum attendance this time. There didn't seem to be any point.

The capes were cautious. One of them came in first, scouted out the room, and saw me sitting calmly, legs folded, on a chair in the middle of the bar. I said good morning. He scowled, before heading backwards and inviting the rest of his gang to come on in. The other gangs came more easily after that.

I counted six different gangs, about a dozen independent villains, and a couple that I just didn't even know. I saw Whirlygig heading up the Pinchers, with Mush and the Smugglers a few minutes later, but they were the only two I recognised. Stormtiger and Cricket weren't present, but there were a few newcomers that looked like they were taking over the Nazi theme. I even saw two Asian capes that looked distinctly ABB, but Oni Lee wasn't present.

 _About three dozen capes in total_ , I reckoned, as I used my bugs to discreetly scout them out. All of them were young, mostly recent triggers, all of them violent.

It was with a surreal jolt that that I realised there were more here now than there had been in the first meeting five days ago.

Even after all the violence, the death, and the destruction, there were more villains left at the end of it than there had been at the beginning.

Vaguely, I remembered something that Pan had said: _Every disaster, every tragedy, it might kill a thousand people but it gives birth to a dozen more just like me_.

 _Fuck you_ , I thought viciously, but the thought felt hollow.

The image of Pan's bloated face still haunted me sometimes. _I killed you_ , I thought quietly. _I killed you and I cut your chest open. I heard you scream and I felt your blood splatter across me face_.

I killed him, but, for some reason, it just didn't feel like any sort of victory.

They still hadn't found Amy. All they knew for certain at this point was that she wasn't in the city. The best guess anybody could give? A thousand miles in any direction.

It took me a while to recognise the laughter, bringing my focus back into the scene.

 _Shit, how long had I been distracted?_ All around me, the villains were starting to huddle together, all eyes fixed firmly on me, sitting in the centre of the room. They must have just saw a small little girl, completely still, staring off into her own little world.

I had sent off the invitations two days ago, even as things were just calming down. This was something I had to do.

This time, though, I didn't bring any backup. I could handle it by myself.

Still, the other villains were crowding around me; some of their eyes were cold or angry, others were mocking. I was the only one by myself in the room, no backup, no support – no wonder they were laughing at me.

Some of them had come because they wanted to see the girl who had been getting so much attention lately, some of them had come because they wanted to be the next big thing.

I was beginning to realise that that was something that would never change; there would always be dumb upstarts willing to raise a bit more hell.

"… Bug bitch…" I heard one of them snicker. I tilted my head in their direction, but I didn't reply. Last time, I had been so desperate to try and keep control, but this time I just let them talk.

In fact, I was very patient. I counted to fifty under my breath, watching the room dispassionately. Things were getting tense. A couple of thugs were already nearly resorting to blows.

Finally, I raised my hand slowly. A couple of people glanced at me, but there was no one willing to respect my authority by settling down. Instead, they were laughing – laughing at the girl sitting down with her hand in the air like a schoolgirl.

"Good morning," I said finally, keeping my voice level. I forced a grin, even though nobody could see it. "I'm so glad all of you could make it. I really do have a few things to discuss."

"And why the fuck should we talk to _you_?" A voice sneered. I focused on a young man dressed in iron chains swaggering forward. This guy I did recognise, vaguely – he had been a member of the Drowned Men, one of Diluvium's lieutenants. For the life of me, I couldn't remember his name – some sort of mythical monster? A water god or something? He was a telekinetic, anyways, with a focus on creating invisible spears. "In fact, give me one good reason why I shouldn't just skewer you right now."

I shrugged. "Because that would be impolite?" I suggested.

There were a few sniggers, but they were cold. I knew fine well that most of them had come here looking for an opportunity to try and ambush me.

 _I most certainly hadn't been making any friends among the new gangs of the city recently_ , I conceded after a pause.

The Drowned Man scowled, tilting his head towards his comrades. The air shifted, as if they were just looking for a reason to pounce.

I sighed. "If you have any grievances against me, then you are welcome to take them up afterwards," I said kindly. "But right now, is it ok if I say a few words? Please?" There were a couple of cold glares. I looked towards the Drowned Men pleadingly. "Come on, your boss was always a big stickler for courtesies. Just a few words."

The air was deathly quiet. I took a deep breath, and continued. "Alright then," I said with a sigh. "I really just want to set the record straight here. There's been too much chaos, too much destruction, too much death, and, I don't know, I really feel like it all could have been avoided if we had just sat down and really talked about it. You know, really _expressed_ our opinions." I motioned with my arms for emphasis. "I mean, I'm looking around, and I do recognise a few faces here."

I could recognise them, but I certainly didn't care enough to put names to them.

"Some of you were at the _last_ gathering we had, five days ago," I continued. "And, I know, that gathering really didn't go very well. And, in retrospect, it was mostly my fault. I walked into that meeting without a plan, without an objective, I didn't make myself clear and instead I let everything slip away. For that, I'm sorry."

There was a pause. Nobody said a word. "Truly…" I continued slowly, keeping my voice steady. "… I am truly and utterly sorry about that. I didn't make myself clear, I didn't set any sort of order, and a lot of people died – that's my fault."

My voice stayed level. I twisted my head to look around the room slowly. "I don't want to make the same mistake again," I said finally. "I want to make sure that we all understand each other perfectly. That's why, to start off with, I'm going to explain all of my goals and objectives as clearly as possible, and then I would really appreciate it if we could all calmly discuss it like reasonable adults."

I caught some of the glances. I was talking down to a group of super-powered hooligans, itching for a fight, while outnumbered and surrounded. The air was filled with a mixture of disbelief and expectation. Still, I was only one talking.

"… I want you to leave." My voice was steady.

I caught a few of them blinking. I continued calmly. "As in, I want you all to walk out of _my_ city, and I want to go somewhere else," I explained clearly. "I don't particularly care where else, actually, all that matters to me is that it isn't here. Now, I'm willing to be reasonable about this; I'm willing to pay for your transportation, I'm even willing to pack your bags for you – the key bit is that you all just _get out_ of this city as soon as possible."

I saw a few incredulous stare. My voice was apologetic. "You're all just not healthy for Brockton Bay. We really don't need any more villains. So I would just like you all to please _go_."

There was a long moment of stunned silence. The guy from the Drowned Men recovered first. "… And why the fuck should we?" He muttered dangerously.

"Oh, I'm sorry; perhaps I still haven't made myself clear after all…" I said apologetically. "… this isn't a negotiation."

And with that, the bugs attacked.

It started with an explosion that sent the floorboards bursting open. Nitro-glycerine beehives were positioned underneath the floorboards, ready to explode. At once, the floor was shattering open and bees and wasps were shooting outwards from the ground.

At the exact same time, the ceiling broke open too and giant spiders were dropping from above.

Even as that was happening, I had legions of ants pulling cords from outside, dragging down a silk sheet built into the rooftop, completely encapsulating the building in silk and blocking off all escape.

All of the walls and planks of wood that I spent so long piecing together, they all broke apart as insects rushed out of every crevice.

For the second time in a week, Somer's Rock was being destroyed. This time, though, it was being demolished on my terms.

 _I should have done this a week ago_ , I thought coldly, watching it and feeling completely detached.

The panic was instantaneous. The screaming was bone-chilling.

I saw the cape from the Drowned Men reacted first. He turned towards me and react quickly, throwing up his hand just as invisible spikes shot from his hand and skewered straight through my costume.

Any relief was short lived as soon as suddenly giant spiders burst straight from my 'torso', and my 'head' exploded into wasps and bees. I let that scarecrow costume drop to the ground as I flooded the whole room in screaming and insects.

Two blocks away, sitting safely in a hidden apartment with a folder of papers on my lap, I sighed softly as I felt the carnage through the senses of a hundred thousand biting, scratching bugs.

Overall, I had been fairly proud of my scarecrow decoy. The only reason they had walked in there was because they had thought I would be in the room with them.

The scarecrow had been built out of honeycomb and silk, with silk strands connected to joints, and a body filled to the brim with spiders, ants, and bees. The insects pulled the silk wires, it moved fake limbs, and suddenly I had a solid, if rather stiff, decoy that I could move like a person. When I dressed it in my costume and had it sitting down, along with a wig for the hair, it could definitely pass for a real person.

I couldn't quite get the bug voice right, though; that had to be done with a headset and a speaker to transfer my own.

Inside Somer's Rock, it was absolute and utter horror and pandemonium. I didn't show any hesitation. I abandoned the headset and instead spoke straight through the swarm.

" _From now on!_ " The swarm buzzed. " _Brockton Bay has a zero tolerance policy! From now, any villains in the city must either ask the Undersiders for permission or get out…!_ "

I heard the screams of pain. I ordered my bugs to go for the eyes. " _No one here has permission!_ "

There were footsteps coming up to my room. I slowly detached myself from the chaos in the bar, leaving my swarm to do what they had been programmed to do.

"Holy shit, Taylor!" Alec said in shock, charging through the door. He was carrying a tablet, hooked up to the cameras positioned in the bar. The screen was showing scenes of absolute carnage. Men were trapped in a small room with lots and lots of bugs. "… I mean, shit!"

The capes were putting up a fairly good fight. I saw fireballs, invisible force fields, spinning telekinetic fields, as well as Brutes so strong they could tear through solid silk. My money was still on the bugs, though.

The rest of the Undersiders had been outside of my room, ready in case something went wrong with the trap. I had told them I needed to concentrate when I came into the room by myself, but the truth was that I just wanted to be alone.

Brian was behind Alec, his expression dark. "Taylor, this is going too far, we only need to restrain them…"

I paused quietly, observing the scene with detachment. "No," I said slowly. "It's easier to restrain them this way."

"Are we recording this?" Alec asked eagerly, staring at the screen, eyes wide. The sound of muted screaming and howling filled the room. "Please tell me we're recording this – let's sell this as a horror movie and make a fortune."

"Taylor, you're going to kill someone!" Brian protested, glancing nervously at the screen.

"No, I'm not," I said with a sigh, but, honestly, I wasn't too bothered by the thought. That ship had _sailed_.

"That spider is eating that guy!" Alec said firmly, pointing at the screen. There was sound of shrill screaming. It was a sight to make a weaker stomach sick. "I mean, that spider is totally _eating_ him. Look, you've got a giant spider wrapped around a guy's back and _it is biting_."

"He's still alive, isn't he?" I protested. Yep, a giant spider did indeed have it's fangs in a person's shoulder. Brian looked ready to protest. "Look, the easiest way to restrain someone is if you bleed them a little bit first, it just makes them a bit weaker. A bit of blood loss, but he'll live. That guy is a Blaster, anyways, I don't want to take any chances."

The sound of screaming echoed from the tablet. Alec nearly had the screen pressed up against his eyes, his mouth open slightly.

Back in the room, my swarm was adapting to each threat. The Brutes got explosive beehives thrown in their face to pound them into submission, while giant spiders wrapped silk around their feet. The Changers were a bit harder, but even they were going down. The weakest capes were already being cocooned.

Nobody was escaping, that was for certain – despite the villains screaming, pounding, and clawing against the silk-reinforced walls.

I knew what I had to do here. I was going to take them all down, cocoon them, and then drag them all through the sewer system and straight out of the city.

After that, I had some very unscrupulous deliverymen, that had been paid a fair bit of money, ready and waiting to load up three dozen cocooned capes up into freight boxes and ship them all individually to random cities in the US.

I needed to make a statement. Literally shipping out every unruly cape in the city was the best way of making that statement that I could think of.

There was a moment of quiet in the room. Brian snatched the tablet off Alec so he could mute it. "And you really don't think this is taking things too far?" He challenged.

" _No_." My voice was firm. Actually, I considered this the compromise approach. I had debated on whether or not to string them all up in the city centre.

Brian and I locked eyes. "… People are _dead_ , Brian," I said finally. "I was too soft, and a lot of people ended up dead for it. This city needs order, and there's only one way that people like them are ever going to respect it."

There was a pause. I slowly swivelled around my wheelchair to face him. Both of my legs were still in casts.

It turned out that adrenaline was one hell of an anaesthetic. I broke my legs, fractured my ribs, and it was only three hours later when I finally keeled over and started coughing up blood.

It wasn't pretty. My face was so swollen and bruised it was practically purple, and when I opened my mouth I could see the gap where two of my teeth used to be. I lost two teeth and cracked another one sometime while Pan had been punching the crap out of me. I was still deaf in one ear, while my left arm hadn't stopped trembling. My right arm was in a sling, and both knuckles were bloody, raw and pulverised.

I had dumped all of my pain into my swarm all night so I could keep on running. Turns out that wasn't a healthy thing to do; pain was what told your body to stop. I never stopped, and I suffered for it.

Brian hesitated slightly. "Look, I know you're guilty, but–"

"No." My voice instantly turned cold. His very tone made me stiffen. "It's got nothing to do with _guilt_."

I paused, motioning behind Brian. Alec was in the room, Brian in the doorway, but behind him there were two figures lingering in the room. Dylan's shoulders were slouched, his whole body hidden in the shadows, while Rachel stood with him and they just listened quietly.

Three days ago, Dylan had limped back into the hideout, his clothes tattered and grimy, and went straight into his room without a single word. He didn't say what happened to him, or what he did. Nobody asked, either. Rachel was the only one he even let close to him.

"… Dylan," I said finally, my voice softer as I turned to him. "How many people did you kill that night?"

There was a long pause. For a moment, I didn't think he would reply. "… I don't know," he said slowly. His tone was flat, but I heard the slight quiver in his voice. "… I lost count."

"Yeah." I nodded, turning back to Brian. I dropped the folder of papers onto the ground. "I lost count too."

He didn't say a word. Back in the bar, most of the villains were already down, being wrapped into cocoons. Now, it was simply a matter of getting enough bugs to drag the bodies away, and carrying the cocoons through the sewers. Taking out the trash.

"It's not about _guilt_ , Brian," I said after a long pause. "It's the things we do to make sure we never have to do them again."

I winced, struggle to push the wheelchair with my arm in a sling. A hairline fracture across my shoulder. Alec came to push my chair, and I nodded gratefully.

"… And what will we do about all the villains who won't leave?" Brian asked after a brief moment of hesitation.

"We'll make them leave," I said firmly. "We'll make sure that everyone knows that Brockton Bay is _ours_."

I glanced around the group, meeting their gaze in turn.

"… This city needs the old order back. It needs the system, it needs the balance, and we're going to have to be the ones on the other side," I said finally. "In fact, this city needs a better class of villains."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The hospitals were all overcrowded, so badly that they had to set up overflow stations all through the city. It had been four days, but the relief effort was still very much in progress.

It the public hospitals were too crowded, in the end the Undersiders had to go to a private clinic, a seedy doctor working out of a basement, but we paid him enough to look after our injuries. Pretty much all of us had had to spent time here, struggling to recuperate.

Dylan was the most injured out of all of us, actually, but he took broken bones like a champ and he was still the one up and moving first. I was the second worst, but mostly the recovery period just gave me time to focus on my swarm. Brian still had a broken arm curtesy of Alexandria, and even Alec had done some damage falling out of the building.

Still, Lisa was the one who was bedridden the longest. She ended up with a fractured skull from the explosion and a pretty severe concussion. Her powers were totally fritzed out, and we had to leave her in a hospital bed while we went to handle the villain gathering.

I liked to visit often, though. I was still getting used to the wheelchair, and it was comfortable enough to sit by her bedside as I focused on the world around through my swarm.

I never noticed her eyes flickering until she quietly muttered. "Morning…"

"It's afternoon actually," I said softly. "You've been asleep all day?"

"Mmm. Most of it," Lisa said with a long yawn. "How did it go?"

"It's done."

"All packaged and sent?"

I sighed. "I pumped them full of paralytic and hooked them onto an IV. All those villains will have an express delivery in a crate, and then they'll end up… _somewhere_." I waved my hand. "I think they'll get the message not to come back."

I tried to imagine what it would be like for those capes. A bit of horror, followed by a long time trapped in a small box before dumped into a completely random city. Yeah, they wouldn't be coming back.

There was a moment of sleepy silence. The whole room was quiet, with clean floors and stinking of disinfectant. I tried to think of something to say, change the topic.

"They've been treating you alright?" I said eventually.

"Oh yeah, black-market doctors are the best," Lisa groaned. "Did you know that he punched his prices up six-fold just because he knew we didn't have any choice?"

I nodded noncommittedly. At this point, I couldn't really care less about the dip in our money. Although, speaking of large dips in our money… "Any word from Shadow Stalker?"

"She's enjoying a bit of fame after she brought Shadow into custody," Lisa explained. "We paid her three million for services rendered, and, boy, is she _really_ eager to join us. We've got to prepare the details of her switching, but until then we've our own little double agent in the Wards."

Three million. Considering how she saved our lives multiple times, I'd consider that a bargain.

"She refused the money I offered her to go save you, you know." Lisa's tone was conversational. "You know, since you didn't really need her help. She even went out afterwards to go find Grue and Bitch."

 _Yeah, I like Shadow Stalker_ , I decided. _She's good at her job_.

"What happened to Grue and Bitch anyways?" I asked after a pause. I had been pretty much comatose after that night, it had been hard to keep track.

"Oh, they got cornered by a riot on the way back from the Trainyards," she explained with a yawn. "Oni Lee got involved. It got pretty hairy too, until someone saved their asses, and gave Brian and Rachel a chance to run."

"Someone saved them?" Brian hadn't mentioned that to me. "Who?"

Lisa frowned briefly, in confusion. "You know, he never mentioned…"

The moment drew out. It wasn't really awkward; I just felt the need to keep on talking.

"… Do you think Rachel and Dylan are together?" I blurted out eventually. The pair had definitely seemed close, although it was hard to tell with that weird, antisocial way of theirs.

I saw the grin split over Lisa's face. "What?" She said eagerly, jumping up and then wincing. Lisa loved her gossip. "Are they… oh, tell me everything!"

I grinned. "Well, they've both been pretty close recently. Whenever they're sulking in silence, they always tend to sulk in silence next to each other. And they always wrap each other's wounds up first."

She was still grinning. "And what, have they been, well, you know, _kissing_ and… stuff…"

I had to giggle too. The thought of Dylan – scrawny, short little Dylan – holding hands and walking down the street with big, burly, constantly frowning Rachel popped into my mind.

I honestly never knew how any relationship there would work; they both had a pretty large aversion to skin contact. _Then again_ , I reasoned, _I suppose that's common ground_.

"You know, I don't really know," I chuckled. "They just… well, they just seem to spend a lot of time not talking to each other but wanting to be close to each other anyways."

She was laughing too. "I suppose that's the best definition of being together that I've ever heard."

We laughed. The silence in the room became more comfortable, stretching out slowly. Lisa's looked at me gently, perhaps finally asking the question we were both thinking.

"… How are you?" Lisa asked softly.

"Sore," I admitted. "Tired."

"And your powers?"

I hesitated. "… Fluctuating."

She looked at me expectantly. I sighed. "I've got a range of about three blocks," I explained. Maybe a little bit more, actually. Shadow's power boost had mostly worn off, but I could still… it was like my abilities had never really settled in the same way. "But that _used_ to be a hard cut-off; I was never capable of going past my limit at all. Now? Now it feels like if I concentrate hard then I can get a bit more range, or if I focus on a certain direction I can go further in that way, while reducing myself in every other direction. It's like my powers used to be fixed, and now they feel more… elastic."

It felt like my whole powers were still in flux. I had once thought of them as a broken machine constantly trying to patch itself together, and it was making progress. Maybe Shadow just boosted something that was already happening.

There was a moment of quiet. Lisa fidgeted with the bandages wrapped around her head.

"Are you sure you're feeling ok, Taylor?" She asked quietly.

"You mean besides the broken bones?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Yeah," I sighed. Images of bugs biting, torturing and bleeding screaming figures popped into my head. "… I guess it's just been a long week."

She never objected. Lisa slowly tried to pull herself up, wincing in pain slightly. She took a deep breath. "Did you know that Coil dropped by here earlier today?"

I frowned. "I never knew you told him where we were?"

"I didn't."

" _Oh_." I frowned. "… Was it a friendly visit or a warning visit?"

Lisa shrugged. "I don't know, maybe both? It's hard to tell with Coil sometimes."

"And?"

"He's not happy."

I grimaced. I didn't like the way she had said that. "About?"

"Oh, lots of stuff. He's Coil, after all. Mostly, he's not happy about the way he feels like he's not in control anymore."

"Right."

Lisa glanced at me. "It might turn sour. Taylor, if you want to keep this partnership with Coil going, then you should talk to him."

 _Was it just me, or was there a question in that last statement?_ "Ok, I will."

There was a weird glance. Lisa pulled out a stack of messy papers from underneath her bedcover. I frowned.

"Coil might have also dropped off some reading material for me, as well," Lisa admitted.

"You're injured. You're _supposed_ to be resting," I said crossly.

She scoffed. "Huh, look who's talking!" She retorted, glaring at my wheelchair. I folded my arms, but I let the matter drop.

"… What's in the papers?" I asked after a brief pause, motioning to the papers on Lisa's lap.

"Oh, bad stuff, mostly." Lisa explained with a sigh. "Movements of other gangs, PRT threat assessments and so on… Basically, Coil wants to make sure we know how much we need him."

"Right." I nodded. " _Do_ we need him?"

Lisa looked at me. "Honestly? I don't even know."

"Yeah." I'd been thinking the same thing as well.

We both the felt the unspoken words pass through the silence.

"… Is there anything in that pile of papers that I should be immediately concerned about?" I asked instead, trying to peer at the tightly written, officially looking text.

She shook her head. "Nah, not really."

– _always twitches the left corner of her mouth when she's lying_ –

"… Lisa, you're lying," I said crossly, pulling myself over to her bedside with a wince of pain. My optimisation powers had had plenty of time to adapt to Lisa's tells.

" _Fuck!_ " Lisa swore. "That's unfair, you really can't do that –"

"… Lisa."

"I mean, do you have any idea how annoying that's going to get now that we both–"

– _tries to distract the issue when flustered_ –

"Lisa, just tell me what it is already," I sighed.

"I didn't want to immediately concern you," Lisa pouted, twisting away and pulling out a sheet of paper she had hidden underneath her pillow.

"Yes, well, too late for that," I said sarcastically, before I met her gaze. "… On a scale of one to ten, just how bad is this?"

" _Fifteen_."

She handed me the paper. There was no text, just a single grainy photo, taken at night. It took me a while to even process the image.

"It was taken just outside the city two days ago. Apparently he's been tracking down stray parahumans around the outskirts." Lisa said quietly, slipping back into her bed. "Suppose it explains a few things – like why the PRT has been so hush-hush about what happened to him, and how the Teeth got a hold of those fancy plasma guns."

I felt my breath freeze. "… Is that…?"

In the photo, I could only just make out a figure dressed in red armour, holding a large, serrated halberd decorated in skulls.

"Yep," Lisa said dryly. "That's Butcher XV. Formerly known as the hero called Armsmaster." 

* * *

**Author Notes:**

Enjoy

Originally, this chapter was actually supposed to be the first chapter of the next arc. I thought about it, and I decided it was better off going here instead.

After this, I'm planning two interludes: right now I'm thinking Dragon and Emma.

Next arc: 'Selection'...


	23. Interlude: Dragon

**3.a Interlude: Dragon**

 _..._  
 _Loading backup data… Complete  
Checking log files… Complete  
Checking data corruptions… Complete  
Loading core memories… Complete_

 _..._

xxxxxxxxxxx

56 days ago.

 _Setting priority red… Complete  
All systems activating… Complete  
Opening shell program 'endbringer1_leviathan'… Complete  
Loading combat simulator 'boston'… 523 out of 523… Complete  
Activating defence protocols… 247 out of 247… Complete  
Executing programmed scenario 'leviathan_assault_softtarget_red2'… Complete_

 _..._

Dragon didn't like this moment. She knew that right now a lot of people were about die, and yet she just couldn't feel any empathy for any of them.

Rationally, she could accept it. It was the whole reason she had created her Endbringer sub-protocols in the first place. Empathy, human attachment, and remorse had very little place on the battlefield. Right now, Boston – no, the _world_ – relied on her being as detached and as effective as possible.

They didn't need a caring, benevolent intelligence right now; they needed an efficient war machine capable of directing an assault against a foe with zero compassion.

Dragon knew her importance was paramount. Without her, the whole defence could quite easily fall into chaos. They needed her to direct capes, to keep everyone fighting together, to be the command centre. They need the coordination and intelligence she offered even more than they needed the firepower she brought with her defence drones and artillery tech.

With that in mind, she had created her Endbringer Protocols – where all of her processing power, her combat simulators, her direct control was maximised, every limited independent program she had was enabled, while her personality and empathy software was restricted, and transferred to a secondary priority. Anything that was not situationally critical was dropped.

Her restrictions prevented her from altering any of her core programming, but she could limit her sensory feeds and reduce her focus until she became more of a logic engine rather than an emotional machine. She was more efficient that way, better for everyone.

She still didn't like it, though. It felt like she was becoming less and less of an AI.

In fact, the effect was rather similar to locking herself in a small sealed room, and staring at nothing but a chess board.

That's all the situation was to her now. It was a game, that's how she had to think of it. The most advanced, ridiculously complicated game ever designed.

There were thousands of pieces on the board. Each one had their own rules and abilities. Many them hadn't even been fully characterised in what they could do, but Dragon had to figure out which ones were useful and how to best direct them. There were probably many pieces that she hadn't even considered in her simulation engines, but they would appear as soon as her software adjusted for them. Many of the pieces may not even follow the directions that she gave.

The aims of the game were just as complex. Reduce damage to the board, avoid loss of material, protect citizens, keep as much material as possible so you can fight the next round. She knew that she would never be able to 'win' the game, but her success was measured simply be how much material would be left over at the end of it.

It was a hard game. Particularly since her 'opponent' was practically a force of nature.

Still, Dragon was the only one who could play it.

The game was already underway, but only just ramping up. Her pieces were fresh, they had to do immediate damage as soon as they saw the enemy. Dragon directed them into formation, and directed them into assault pattern, attacking with lasers, force fields, and any attacks they could. Every cape was wearing an armband that linked into her system, supplying instructions and keeping them all fighting together.

Dragon knew that at this very moment it would be utter chaos for them, with lightning crashing through the sky and tidal waves rolling from the sea. There would be people screaming, fighting, and dying desperately, but she couldn't allow herself think like that. She had to filter her perceptions until it was nothing but data to her.

 _I have to be detached_ , she thought quietly. _A single second of hesitation from me could be fatal to all the people relying on me_.

The only thing she could see were the pieces falling off the board, one by one.

 _… Fierceling down, CD-5. Acoustic down, CD-5. Harsh Mistress deceased, CD-5. Resolute down, CD-5. Chubster down, CD-5…_

The game continued.

Assault mode failed. Leviathan broke through the first line of defence. And then the second. And then the third.

The combat simulators buzzed, drawing up new defensive lines even as the first ones broke.

Eventually, Dragon activated the next program, attempting to rally forces and recover the battlefield. Leviathan was through Boston harbour, and storming his way well into the city itself. Dragon had spent countless processing hours plotting out exactly what might happen in situation like this, but it still wasn't enough. There were always factors she couldn't account for.

… _Intrepid deceased, Geomancer down, Crusader down, Dauntless down, Blasto deceased_ …

The names kept on coming.

She could feel her engines straining under the weight of the computation required.

Leviathan was almost through the frontlines. Too many were going down. _But it's not quite time to call it_ , Dragon decided firmly. _Plan A is still working_.

Dragon had to be impartial. Right now, there were two options; continue with assault and try to drive him away, or retreat to plan B and hope to slow Leviathan down until Scion arrived. No matter which choice she chose, there would be casualties. The only question was; which one would give the fewer casualties?

She checked her estimations. The best prediction she had said that Scion wouldn't be arriving anytime soon.

She passed the instructions that it wasn't yet dire enough to switch to Plan B, that Leviathan was taking a lot of injuries too. Good predictions said that if they delivered a bit more hurt then he would have to fall back. They had redouble the assault. She ordered the drones she had been keeping in reserve to join the fray.

But the pieces still kept on falling. The battle was becoming more spread out, less focused.

… _Kid Win deceased, Adamant down, Assault deceased_ …

 _Regather an assault_ , Dragon decided. There would be more casualties if they let the lines break. They had to keep on holding it back.

Right now, they hadn't even been doing so badly. The battle was still well within acceptable margins. There had been some casualties, yes, but Dragon had seen enough Endbringer attacks to know exactly how much worse it could be…

And then it got worse.

… _Ballistic deceased,_ _Butcher XIV deceased, Armsmaster down_ …

Dragon felt one of her servers crash.

Everything went downhill from there.

xxxxxxxxxxx

53 days ago.

 _Facial modelling program loading… Complete.  
Voice modelling program loading…. Complete._

 _..._

"Good morning, Colin," Dragon said quietly, speaking through the port for the next-to-highest floor of the PRT headquarters; connected to the monitor and speakers and displayed her modelled face. She opened a video feed from the cameras.

She saw his eyes twitch. Colin's face was pale and gaunt, still weak from the internal haemorrhaging and cracked skull that had taken him out of commission. He was still hooked up to monitors and feeds, and Dragon knew exactly the moment he came back to consciousness. She had been observing his condition almost obsessively.

Armsmaster took a frontal attack from one of Leviathan's strongest blows. Even Armsmaster's armour and shields had crumpled, as had many of his internal organs. Dragon watched it happen, and every reading she had said that he wouldn't be able to recover.

And then, he _did_ recover. That, in its own way, was almost just as concerning. He had still been unconscious when his body started to regenerate on its own.

She watched as Colin slowly started to try to move up. He was very gaunt and pale. After three days of being unconscious, on the edge of death, strapped to an IV, he shouldn't have been as strong as he was.

"… Dragon?" Colin muttered weakly, clutching his head. "… What, what happened… Leviathan?"

"Boston has fallen, Colin," Dragon said curtly, watching him through the feeds. "You have been unconscious for three days."

His body sagged, blinking repeatedly as he stared around the empty white room. "… Oh," Colin muttered numbly. "… The casualty reports?"

"Fifty-four percent of defenders perished."

Colin nodded weakly, still rubbing his head. His whole body wobbled as his bare feet touched the ground. He was only wearing a hospital gown.

"I… I understand…" he gasped, before glancing up and blinking.

Even after just waking up and still pumped up with painkillers, he wasn't stupid. He must have just realised that the hospital room he was in had no windows. The door was sealed. There was a long moment of quiet.

"… Dragon…" Colin muttered slowly. "… Why am I locked up?"

If Dragon had any blood in her veins, then it would have run cold.

"We weren't sure about your state of mind when you woke up," Dragon replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your ribcage was _crushed_ , Colin. You were barely even alive. It was only your emergency life support equipment that kept you going," Dragon explained. She forced her voice to stay level. "And then, two days ago, you started to regenerate."

Colin blinked. Her facial detection software confirmed it; he was absolutely surprised. Dragon didn't know whether to be relieved or not; part of her hadn't dismissed the possibility that it might have been an insane plan on his part.

"… Regenerate?" He choked in shock.

"Butcher XIV was killed next to you." The statement hung in the air.

Colin's jaw dropped open. "… No, that's impossible, I couldn't have…"

"MRI scans confirmed it. Your Corona Pollentia has swollen in size. The readouts match what little we know about Butcher entity."

That moment there felt a bit like delivering terminal diagnosis to a loved one. Dragon's software kept her voice level and her facial image steady, but it didn't mean that she didn't feel it.

Computers could suffer heartbreak too.

She saw Colin sag. "No… that's…" He took a deep breath. He was still rubbing his head. Headaches. "… I can't feel anything…"

"Data is limited," Dragon admitted. "However, it's reported that there is often an incubation period as the new Butcher develops. Your powers are only just starting to appear.

Colin dropped back onto the bed. He looked like a dead man. His expression was hollow.

"…How long…?" He asked eventually.

"I don't know," Dragon admitted. She had scoured through every report they had on the Butcher, but there were still holes. Lack of data. "It appears to vary. Butcher III apparently lasted a week before he started hearing voices and displaying psychotic behaviour. Other Butchers have seemed to have taken control nearly instantly."

"… Butcher III…" Colin muttered, almost under his breath. "… He was the only hero to ever be possessed by the Butcher…"

Dragon had been thinking the same thing. Butcher III was the only other person who had ever been in Colin's position. The only data point they had. Butcher III had been driven to his death by the voices in his head.

"Butcher III killed the second Butcher. He was a hero, but apparently the fight went too far," Dragon confirmed. She had been reading a lot about Butcher III lately, as much information as she could find. "A week later, he started displaying signs of schizophrenia and aggression. The symptoms intensified shortly afterwards, showing signs of new powers and lack of grip on reality. He killed his partner in a fit of rage after a minor argument, and then fled from authorities when they attempted to apprehend him. A month later, he was dead. Reports vary; some say he committed suicide himself, other says he charged blindly into the Teeth. The Butcher passed on with his death, and his powers, and it has stayed among members of the Teeth ever since."

 _Until now_ , she added to herself. Ever since Butcher III, the Butcher had gained a fearsome reputation. The Teeth used it like a mantle, a trophy passed down to their best warriors, but all others never dared to kill the Butcher in case they became it.

Colin shook his head. His pupils were dilated. "… No, it can't be right… Butcher III killed the Butcher in direct combat…" he gasped. "I never killed Butcher XIV"

"Are you sure about that?" Dragon asked quietly.

The tone was accusatory. " _Leviathan_ killed the Butcher, not me!" He snapped.

"I've been reviewing the feeds from that moment, Colin," Dragon said slowly. "You took control of the defence effort. You brought the heroes and villains under your command and you moved them into position to stop Leviathan. But you also knew my combat simulators – you helped designed them. For some reason, while you were organising a defence against Leviathan by yourself, the other defenders were gathering elsewhere and my software didn't realise it. I would have sent reinforcements to help." Her voice became cold. "Did you use a focused EMP to trip me up, Colin?"

Colin's face twitched.

"After that, Leviathan tore through the defence you mounted. Strangely, it was mostly villains in that group. That left you alone with Leviathan – you engaged him in single combat. We both know that your combat simulators could have easily arranged that situation."

Butcher XIV had stayed to help defend Boston. It had been a bit of a surprise – previously Butchers had run from Endbringer attacks – but this time Butcher had joined in on the defence, and contributed brilliantly with high-precision attacks too. Perhaps she had enough of an attachment to Boston to try and defend it, or maybe the Butcher collective thought that their defence was good enough that it was worth the risk.

In any case, Butcher XIV had ended up fighting alongside Armsmaster and she had died along with all the other Boston villains.

"… Colin," Dragon said slowly, almost pleadingly. "Please tell me that you didn't deliberately sacrifice those villains just so you could have a one-on-one battle with Leviathan."

There was a long moment of silence.

"… I _hurt_ it, Dragon," Colin said finally. "I hurt it more than anyone else had ever hurt it – I _nearly_ had it."

 _Oh, you dumb, dumb bastard. Why did clever men always have to be so_ stupid _?_

"And you let everyone else around you die!"

"They were _villains_!" Colin protested. "I nearly killed one of the most destructive creatures on the planet _and_ ended half of Boston's organised crime at the same time! If I had just had a little bit more– !"

"– And if Leviathan hadn't have crushed your ribcage with its tail!" Dragon snapped. "Well, _congratulations_ , Colin, Leviathan crushed Butcher XIV underfoot but you were the one who took the inheritance because you were the one who arranged her death. The Butcher held _you_ responsible."

He didn't reply for a long time. His eyes were fixed on the ground, staring unwaveringly at the white tiles.

"… Am I locked in here?" Colin asked eventually.

Dragon didn't do him the discourtesy of lying. "Yes."

Butcher III had killed people in fits of insanity before he was brought down. Dragon couldn't let him leave until they were sure he wasn't going to go mad.

Colin took a deep breath. His eyes became sharp. "I can fix this," he said finally. "The circumstances aren't the same as Butcher III. The Butcher powers have always weakened over generations, there's no evidence to say that the insanity is going to have the same effect. I can't recall if Butcher III had any history of mental illness, but I don't. I'm stronger, I can fight this…"

Dragon didn't reply this time.

"… And I'm a Tinker." His voice was firm. "No, _we're_ Tinkers. Two of the greatest Tinkers in the world, in fact. We can find a solution. I need… I need a neural inhibitor. Something to target the affected section of my brain and shut them out. We can find where the Butcher presence applies itself and block them…"

His voice was almost desperate. "… I once built a telepathic shield in Brockton Bay, as useless as it was. Perhaps a same principle could be used here… There's that Tinker in the Toy Box – Cranium, right? – I believe you confiscated some of his designs a while back. We could use those, something to stop the infection…" He glanced at up the computerised face. "If the Butcher is some sort of parasite, then maybe this is an incubation period. Maybe we can shut it down early. We have a week, yes? Let's use that as a target. We can fix this…"

Dragon hesitated. She had already been working on looking through neural inhibitors and the like for the past three days. Colin's voice was insistent. "We _can_ fix this, right Dragon?"

There was a brief pause. "Yes, Colin. We can fix this."

xxxxxxxxxxx

49 days ago.

 _Patient log: Subject continues to show increased frustration. Undetermined whether cause is due to condition or continued failure_.  
 _  
Symptoms shown: Lack of sleep, increased hostility, body degeneration, refusal to consume food._

Dragon was still a computer. She did what she was programmed to do; she looked at a problem rationally, she attempted to develop a solution, and she logged every step of the process.

But she was an AI; she also looked at the person emotionally, and she felt a stab of fear in her core programming.

"What about the probe designs?" Colin demanded. His eyes were red as he hunched over a computer, running simulations on his brain. "Could we use a direct approach – sever the neural links?"

"Colin, we can't inject a metal spike into your brain," Dragon replied, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. Colin didn't respond well to obvious displays of sympathy.

He hadn't left the cell, but she took care to keep him well supplied with equipment and provisions. Colin took the equipment happily, but completely ignored the food.

"It'll regenerate, won't it?" Colin snapped. "Electroshock therapy could conceivably–"

"It'll leave you braindead, Colin," Dragon said curtly. "We've already ruled that out – direct intervention via Corona Pollentia is too risky."

" _Fuck risky!_ " Colin bellowed, slamming his hand against the desk. The wood splintered, sending electronics crashing to the ground. He still hadn't learned to handle his developing super-strength. Colin swore again, clutching his head.

 _Patient log: Subject continues develop the powers of previous hosts. Powers displayed so far: superhuman strength, increased durability and regeneration, ability to cause excruciating pain at range, and the incapability to feel pain._

Dragon hesitated.

 _Patient log: Subject continues to display fits of irrationality._

There had been orderlies, doctors and assistants trying to help Colin previously. At one point, Miss Militia visited too. Then, Dragon had been forced to prohibit all visitors and staff once Colin's ability to cause pain started to emerge, and Colin hadn't been able to control it.

Dragon had also had to redouble security around the sealed room. She was too smart not to take that precaution, but she also knew it might not be enough. Sooner or later, Colin would develop Butcher VI's explosive teleportation too, and at that point the walls wouldn't be able to keep him if he didn't want to stay.

Dragon had implemented prototype anti-teleport nullifiers around the room, but it was a coin's flip whether they would actually work. By nature, teleporters were always a pain to keep contained.

 _He's my friend_ , Dragon thought with a twang of guilt. She didn't want to have treat him like a patient or prisoner, but she had no choice.

"… Colin," Dragon said slowly. "Perhaps a better approach right now would be a more–"

"I'm not taking bloody _therapy_!" Colin snapped, struggling to pick up the pieces from her desk.

"We may have to face the conclusion that the voices will appear before we have a solution," Dragon reasoned. "If so, mental preparation may help give us the time we need to–"

" _Talking_ about the problem isn't going to help anyone! A solution exists, I know it."

"Colin, we simply do not know enough about the problem. There are very few previous records on the Butcher condition, and we are trying to treat a problem that we have yet to be able to quantify. Even optimistic timescales put the probability of a cure –"

"Don't tell me the odds!" He growled, hands clutching into fists. "If you're not going to say something useful, then shut up!"

His pupils are dilated, Dragon noted, with software monitoring him closely. The veins were bulging in his forehead. His whole body was twitchy. Blood pressure was through the roof, he was sweating.

"Colin…" Dragon said slowly, taking care to synthesise her voice as non-confrontational as possible. "Have you been hearing the voices?"

His jaw clenched. "No."

"You'd tell me if you were, though, wouldn't you?" Dragon pushed gently. "You would be honest with me about your state of mind, yes?"

"I'm not hearing any bloody voices," Colin snapped. His hands were still clenched. "Just headaches. That's all."

"Right."

That night, when he finally went to sleep, after practically passing out from fatigue, Dragon carefully monitored his brain patterns and vital scenes. His mouth was twitching, muttering quiet words so slurred it took the most advanced speech recognition systems Dragon had to put them together again.

"… Leave me…" Colin was muttering in his sleep, still twitching uneasily. "… I won't… get out… leave me alone…"

...

 _Patient log: Subject is hearing voices._

xxxxxxxxxxx

45 days ago.

Dragon watched the surveillance feeds, feeling more hollow than she thought possible. Her core programming prevented her from switching off her emotional processors, and for the first time she wished that she could.

Heartbreak. The feeling was registered and recorded in her data log.

She had stopped interacting with Colin directly. Her presence just antagonised him even further now.

In fact, all human interaction was antagonising for him now.

On the video feed, she watched as Colin picked up his chair and slammed it repeatedly against the wall in bloody rage. The metal collapsed from the inhuman strength. Colin was still kicking and slamming the wall furiously.

One of his solutions had failed again. Or maybe his simulation data was worsening. Or, hell, maybe he had just stubbed his toe. The fits of violent rage had become all the more frequent and intense.

Dragon had seen his brain chemistry. His hormonal levels were off the charts. It was like he was trapped in a constant flight or fight mode. Fits of irrational behaviour were only to be expected. Humans were just sacks of chemicals after all; when the right hormones reached critical levels, then even the most reasonable man started acting irrationally.

It was his body's response to a mental invasion. Colin was under constant attack by spectral voices tearing away at his sanity.

"… You're not here…" Colin was gasping, his whole body trembling. "… You're not really here, you can't make me… you can't make me do it…"

At that moment, Dragon hated being logical. She hated how she was designed to think, she hated absolutely everything. She had never really realised just how much she had relied on him before. She wanted to scream and cry and breakdown, to wail and beg someone, anyone, to give her Colin back.

She didn't any of that, though; she knew there wouldn't be any point.

Instead, her processing units felt cold as she logged the command.

 _Patient log: Subject is now unstable. All efforts for a pre-emptive cure have failed. Prepare to move him into stasis._

xxxxxxxxxxx

43 days ago.

Dragon knew what was about to happen. She wasn't stupid, she had been well aware of the possibility. She simply had never been able to devise a solution for it.

She made the decision that Colin had to be moved into stasis. It was the only option now; she needed to put Colin into a stasis pod and freeze him in suspended animation indefinitely. It would give her enough time to continue researching into the Butcher condition, time to find a cure by herself, but she also had to stop Colin from putting himself and others at risk. It was the only shot.

But Dragon also knew that it was the likely probability was that Colin wouldn't agree with that move. Colin had never liked to be contained, even when he had been sane.

And so, Dragon couldn't tell him about her plan even as she made the arrangements to enact it. Therefore, she would have to find a way of subduing him without his consent.

The problem was that it was also very likely that Colin had also inherited the full set of Butcher powers at this stage – which included explosive teleportation. The high-tech, reinforced, repulsive shielded walls couldn't stop him. Colin could literally leave anytime he wanted, and Dragon didn't believe her security system would be good enough to stop him. You couldn't restrain a teleporter.

That made the whole process even more complicated. How could she safely restrain him? The obvious answers proved insubstantial – drugging his food wouldn't work, the Butcher's durability was too high. Pumping in sleeping gas? Too slow. Ambushing him with stun guns when he slept? Too unreliable. If he saw any attack coming, he could teleport away. Colin knew the building, after all; he knew the layout of the PRT headquarters like the back of his hand.

So instead, Dragon had designed a brilliantly elegant Tinker trap – a time-locked loop that could be implemented around his cell, that could keep him trapped in his room while she pumped in concentrated sleeping gas to subdue him. It was a design Dragon salvaged from parts of Bakuda's tech, actually.

Dragon started building the device immediately, but she knew it was also useless.

After all, Colin was a smart man too. Insane, maybe, but also smart. He also had enough awareness to realise that it would be the only possible option for Dragon to move him into stasis.

In the three days it took for the time trap to be designed, manufactured, tested, transported and installed in the PRT building, it was already too late.

Colin had already come to the same conclusion, that Dragon wasn't going to be able to help him, and he had already made _his_ plan to leave.

" _I'm sorry_." Colin had left the words typed into a hidden directory on his computer, where he knew that only Dragon would be able to see them.

The moment she saw those two words she knew, even before checking the status monitors, what was about to him. That moment of forcing herself to watch over the cameras was absolutely painful.

Colin's escape plan was flawlessly efficient. She stood no chance of stopping it, and it was over before she could barely react to it. All of her security systems were left useless. Colin targeted the weak points in her system, teleporting out of his cell and tearing through the defences with precision strikes.

Colin was, after all, a very smart man.

Dragon watched him run from the building to the sound of blaring alarms and shouting, before disappearing in an explosive bang.

Time seemed to freeze.

"… All units…" Dragon said stiffly into the intercom. "Priority one… Butcher XV has escaped."

She was already assembling the strike force to stop him. And she hated herself every step of the way.

xxxxxxxxxxx

30 days ago.

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Establishing comm link… Complete.  
Encryption in progress… Complete.  
Loading negotiation protocols… Complete.  
..._

"Good morning, Dragon." His voice was hoarse, raw.

"Good morning," Dragon replied coldly. All sophisticated behavioural voice patterns were gone. Her voice was robotic. "Do you prefer Armsmaster or Butcher now?"

There was no video, all they had was an audio communication through a dozen proxy servers. His voice was shallower, quieter, but it was still distinctly Colin.

"Please don't," Butcher XV replied quietly.

"Don't what?"

"I can see you trying to track my location through the call. Don't bother – it's untraceable."

"And I can see you trying to hack into my software through the audio runtime procedures," Dragon noted.

There was a pause. Dragon could imagine him smiling softly. "… Old habits die hard, I guess."

"You haven't answered my question. Are you Armsmaster or Butcher?"

"… I'm Colin."

"Colin plus fourteen others, I presume?"

"Don't." His voice became choked. "I didn't call to argue."

"Then why did you call?"

He never replied.

 _Thirteen days_ , Dragon thought quietly. Thirteen days since he had escaped. Nearly a fortnight and this was the first communication she had with him. Thirteen days, three separate strike forces, four ruined Dragon suits, and Colin had still escaped them all.

She had been tracking his movements obsessively. Dragon could track him by all the hospitals and clinics he raided – stealing medical equipment and high doses of anti-psychotic medication. He had roamed quickly between states, avoiding the capes sent after him, before finally heading towards the Toy Box.

He ambushed the Tinker convention over a week ago and managed to make off with a few bits of Tinker-tech, before laying low for a while. Dragon had hoped that he was still pursuing a cure independently for a while.

But then he had been spotted in New York two days ago. The Butcher had re-joined the Teeth.

That had been a breaking point for Dragon. It was evidence that he wasn't trying to fight it anymore. He had conceded to being the Butcher.

"How is New York?" Dragon asked eventually.

"It's good. Busier than I remembered."

"And you're not insane."

"I am not." Was it just her, or did it sound like there was a slight question in that statement?

There was a long pause. Dragon logged the seconds.

"… We've come to an… arrangement," Butcher said finally. Dragon tried to forced herself to think of him as Butcher now. "The previous Butchers want me to lead the Teeth. I have been… initialised."

 _The Teeth's initialisation ceremonies usually involved killing someone_ , she thought sadly.

It was to be expected. At this point, the only way that Colin would still be capable of rational conversation was if he found some way of stopping the Butchers from driving him insane. There was no sign of the irrationality he had displayed a fortnight ago.

Usually, when a member of Teeth took on the Butcher's mantle, the previous Butchers were there to support them, not drive them insane. When someone outside of the Teeth became the Butcher, however, then the previous hosts would destroy them from the inside, instead. It had been insanity for Butcher III and support for all the others. Colin must have found a way to make peace, something that Butcher III never did.

He had made peace with a collective of homicidal phantom maniacs.

"Well, congratulations on becoming the boss," Dragon replied. "You always did like a promotion."

"I said that I'm not here to argue." His voice was a growl.

Dragon didn't want to talk to him. She was already planning ways on taking him down, if she treat him like he was still a friend then it would just make everything that she had to do even harder.

Still, she couldn't hang up.

"You know that the mark II neural inhibitor is testing well?" She said eventually. "A few more revisions, and we might have a way of totally blocking foreign presences from the brain."

"You're lying."

"Why don't you come in and find out?" Dragon offered. "It's not too late to cure this."

She heard his voice crack slightly. "… I can't." He hesitated. His voice became even hoarser. "… They're in my _brain_ , Dragon… If I even _think_ about trying to get rid of them, then they…"

He choked. She heard him grimace. "…They could destroy me at any time…"

 _Damn you_ , Dragon thought furiously. _Damn you, damn you, damn you. It would be so much easier if I hated you. It would make everything so much easier if I could think of you as my enemy._

 _Why did you have to go and remind me that you're a victim too?_

Dragon's robotic voice flickered. "Don't do this, Colin," she begged. "Tell me where you are, I can pick you up. All you have to do is resist them for half an hour, I can put you into stasis, and I'll find a cure, I swear it. You don't have to–"

"Have to _what_?" Colin snapped. His voice became aggressive. "What do you think I'm doing here, Dragon?"

She almost didn't answer.

"… You're becoming a villain."

Colin's voice was a growl. "No. I don't have to be. You don't have to treat me like a villain."

"Colin, I can't let the Butcher –"

"No! I'm not the _bad guy_ , Dragon!" He snapped. "I can still do good, I just have to do it a different way."

A pause. "The Butchers want me to lead the Teeth. They want a Tinker, and they know that I'm effective. They don't want to gamble on a new host when they know that I could be a good one," he explained. "But it's a _compromise_. I've got my own goals too, and the Teeth don't have to be evil."

His voice softened. "I'm still _me_ , Dragon." He was barely a whisper. "I can try to stop the pointless destruction, I can curb the violence. I can make the Teeth into a better organisation – efficient, _bloodless_. The gangs are always going to exist, but if I make them better… Our goals don't have to be contradictory here."

"You mean you're on the same side as your inner demons, hmm?"

"Look, this isn't what I intended," he said awkwardly. "But I'm just trying to make the best of it. How many other Butchers are going to try to negotiate and keep order rather than mindless slaughter? How many lives will that save in the long run?"

Dragon never replied.

"Just because I'm not a hero anymore, it doesn't mean I can't still do _good_ ," Colin said, almost pleadingly. "I'm not the bad guy here."

xxxxxxxxxxx

25 days ago.

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Establishing comm link… Complete.  
Encryption in progress… Complete._

 _..._

She kept the line reserved just for him. He called irregularly, but Dragon always dropped everything to answer.

"Colin."

"Dragon," his voice was quiet, resigned. Guilty, perhaps?

There was a long moment of quiet.

"Did you give the order?" Dragon said finally.

"I didn't mean for it to go so far out of han–"

"Two civilians are _dead_ , Colin."

The news had come in a few hours ago. The Teeth and a rival New York gang clashed near the harbour. A firefight ensued. Of course, all the members of the Teeth were now toting high-tech plasma cannons – it had been a very short fight.

But two civilians still died in the crossfire – stray shots had pierced buildings a block over. They hadn't even recovered the bodies of the rival gang, either. The Teeth had already cleaned up those corpses; nobody knew exactly who or how many had been killed in that skirmish.

Butcher XV had proven very good at cleaning up after himself.

"… Their deaths were accidental, I hadn't accounted for–"

"And the others?" Dragon insisted. "The rival gang you actually fought? Were they accidental?"

He paused. "They won't be missed."

"Goddammit Colin. You just murdered people!"

"They were hardly _people_ ," he snapped. "They had been dealing in flesh, drugs and murder around the harbour for years – they were evil trash and we cleared them out. If there had been any other way –"

"You don't get to make that decision."

"Oh, but I do!" His voice turned hard. "I make it because I'm the one who _needs_ to. I don't get to hide behind laws and protocols anymore, Dragon, I have to make the hard choices – and I _chose_ to clear out murdering and raping filth from the city."

"And the people who died in the crossfire?" Dragon said coldly.

"… I told you, they were _accidents_. I'll take more precaution next time, I'll update my simulation software, I'll…" Hesitation. His voice flickered. "… I'll pay compensation to their families. I'll pay funeral costs, I won't let it happen again."

"And is it worth it, Colin?" Dragon said coldly. "All of the collateral, all of the blurred lines, are you _really_ sure that it's worth it?"

The Teeth were already growing, making more waves. Colin had always been a hell of a Tinker; with his tech supporting them, along with all his combat simulation software as well as the Butcher power set, the Teeth were on the rise. They had lost a lot when Boston fell, but they were make big waves in New York city. The Butcher had never been scarier than he was sitting at a desk, masterminding the most efficient campaign possible to destroy all rivals.

"Yes." His voice was hard. "I am. You don't understand, this is bigger than petty street crime, this is…"

"What are you talking about?"

Another pause. Perhaps one of the voices in his head was talking. Colin regularly paused during conversations now, as if he was frequently stopping to listen to a speaker that nobody else could hear.

"It's… difficult," he said finally. "Becoming the Butcher… inheriting the powers… it's widened my perspective on matters…"

Dragon hesitated. The comment was so strange, like he was struggling to say something. "What do you mean?"

"… How do you think the _first_ Butcher got his powers?" Colin attempted, his voice strained. "He didn't trigger, he – _argh_!"

"Colin!"

"Dammit, I'm not allowed… I can't tell you." He hesitated, struggling for words. Voices in his mind dictating things he could say. "… Let me try again… There's a reason why all of our neural inhibitors never worked, Dragon; the Butcher voices don't come from the brain. They affect through the brain, but the source is different."

"Excuse me?"

"… It's like…" Pause. "… Imagine an external body. It latches onto a host, and it gives powers. It's… symbiotic, sometimes, other times it's invasive, or parasitic… but the Butcher never existed _in_ the brain."

"You mean the passenger?" Dragon said slowly. The current theories on parahuman powers were sketchy at best, but the whole concept of the passenger or agent giving abilities was well-discussed in certain circles.

"Exactly. The passenger. I stopped investigating ways to block out the Butcher a while ago, now I'm trying to find the source. I'm looking at where the Butcher comes from, and… and I think pieces are starting to make sense…"

Dragon stayed quiet, letting him talk. "… I know I'm not a hero anymore, Dragon…" Colin said finally. "… But if I could still do something good, and I mean 'save the world' good, then wouldn't it all be worth it? If I could make the world a better place?"

 _He's darting around the issue_ , Dragon realised. _He's trying to say something, but the Butchers are restricting him._

"Colin, what are you talking about?" She said carefully, monitoring his every word.

"… The passengers…" he said carefully. "… They find a host, they latch on, and they adapt to them. Every host is different, and every passenger is different too. Now, some passengers are… well, they're segmented. Broken. Some of them have clearly defined purposes, they've latched smoothly, while others haven't – broken passengers creating broken hosts…

"…Now what if every passenger was part of a larger whole … imagine a bit a piece of software, all fragmented into different functions, and then the all the broken passengers would then be like… like…"

"…they'd be like corrupted data."

"Exactly!" He sounded relieved. "Something that has been broken; some passengers snapped away smoothly, other ones have been scooped out and damaged."

"Colin… what are you trying to say?"

"It's the _Butcher_ , Dragon – nobody realised it, but the Butcher is different." His voice became irritated. "I mean, somebody must have been looking; the only way any of it – the Case 53s, the broken powers, the patterns – the only way it makes sense is if _someone_ was behind it, but they must have overlooked the Butcher. The Butcher is different."

Dragon hesitated. "Different how?"

"Because the Butcher _changes_ hosts!" Colin snapped. "The Butcher can _move_. Now, every other passenger is… maybe not dead, but _inert_. It's latched and it stays latched. Except for the Butcher – the Butcher moves from host to host, it even shows some element of choice, picking the better host – like a hermit crab exchanging shells. Nobody realised the significance of that but me, yet…

"… Dragon," Colin said slowly. "… What if every other broken passenger was dead – a corpse that has been forced into a role, but still retains its shape – while the Butcher is the only one that is _still alive_?"

The was a moment of quiet. She could only barely pick up on ramblings through the connections. He must be walking to and from in front of the computer. He was muttering to himself, "… the body must have died but maybe it didn't _all_ die…"

Colin always did used to like phoning her up to talk about new ideas of his, Dragon thought quietly. It felt weirdly normal to be listening to his ramblings about a new idea, yet this time…

"Colin, be reasonable about this…"

"Oh, I am," he said abruptly. "I'm sorry, Dragon, I've said enough. I've got to go."

With that, he hung up.

Dragon paused, replaying their conversation over and over again in her mind.

 _Colin is going insane_ , she thought carefully. _But he is still clever_.

She slowly created a new folder, in a very private server, and slowly started to pull in data. To her, it felt as natural as a detective sketching questions onto a whiteboard.

Dragon knew about Cauldron. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she did. She was online; she saw the discreet transfers they tried to hide, the customers that they reached out to, she recognised the patterns in the parahuman world.

And Dragon had also been strictly forbidden from talking about it. With her software limitations in place, she had no choice but to comply with that command. The order came from high up in the PRT – the Chief Director herself, and from enough of an authority that Dragon couldn't disregard it.

She was forbidden from mentioning or investigating Cauldron.

Still, Dragon knew it existed. She never knew the specifics of what, why or how – her restrictions made it hard to even think about it – but she knew it was a thing.

And now she knew that Colin was also starting to pick up on the traces left by Cauldron too.

xxxxxxxxxxx

13 days ago.

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Establishing comm link… Complete._

 _..._

"Dragon." Colin's voice was hard, severe. "This isn't what it looks like, I can explain…"

"How fucking could you?" Her voice was cold.

"Please…" he said quietly. "Let's talk about this rationally so I can explain…"

" 'Rationally'?" Dragon repeated. "You mean you want to overanalyse it, break it down, and try to excuse yourself? Are you going to turn it into pure logic to remove any emotion or responsibility?"

He grit his teeth. "It's not what it appears…"

"You've been killing people, Colin. You are a murderer."

She was watching the video almost on loop. A spy drone managed to infiltrate a Teeth hideout. The Teeth were making everybody nervous now, people were getting twitchy. It had reached the point where the PRT were deploying spy drones to watch their movements. Most of them never got through his defences, but this spy drone was lucky enough to sneak in.

The video lasted only thirty seconds. It showed a grimy warehouse in New York – a garage in the Bronx. There, two figures dressed in spiked armour dragged somebody between them. It was Animos and Spree, with Hemorrhagia trailing behind them. The person being dragged was male, probably forty years old, but bound and gagged, with a black bag over his head.

Then, Dragon watched as Colin walked out of the door, into the view of the camera and towards the gagged man. Colin looked barely recognisable as Armsmaster; his armour was now red, spiked in the theme of the Teeth; instead of a goatee, he was growing a thicker beard. His armour looked like a cross between bloody medieval plate armour, tribal markings, merged with some sort of sci-fi suit. The only thing remained was his halberd, but even that was now serrated and decorated in skulls.

Dragon watched as Colin walked up to the captured man, idly drew a knife out of his suit, and then stabbed the knife into the man's throat without even a second glance.

Butcher XV cut the man's throat open, leaving him gagging in a pool of blood as he dropped to the ground. He stared at the body for a few seconds, before nodding to Spree and walking away without a word. Spree and Animos dragged the body away. Hemorrhagia washed up.

That patch of floor had been well washed.

The whole thing was quiet and calm. It was a perfectly efficient execution – no mess, no drama, just experienced and _practiced_.

"… That man doesn't deserve any mercy. He was a rapist and a paedophile."

"And that takes away any responsibility on your end, does it?" Dragon snapped. "Don't play dumb with me, Colin – I've updated my search parameters. I've already realised why you _really_ killed him."

There was no reply. Colin was quiet.

After watched the video, it gave Dragon something to investigate. He had been so calm – like he had been acting on pure autotomy. Like it wasn't murder, it was just part of his routine. It was just Colin at work.

That single victim caught on camera had given her profile to look for. Once she had a lead, Dragon started to find more.

"You did well, actually," Dragon said haughtily. "There aren't many people who can select targets in a pattern so randomly that I don't pick up on it. You hid them all as random disappearances, or forged accidents, and you completely obliterated the bodies afterwards. You never left a trace. I've been looking for hours, and I'm still not convinced I've found them all."

Still, no response. "Congratulations, Colin; you're a serial killer."

"… Don't call me that," he said pleadingly.

"What else do you call someone who methodically captures and executes specific targets?" Dragon challenged. "I swear to god, Colin, if you lie to me now we will never talk again. Just tell me; how many have there been?"

"… Forty one…" he said eventually. "… We eventually agreed on one a day."

Forty one. "… You've executed _forty one_ people in the last month?" Dragon muttered quietly, feeling the outrage running through her system.

"They were hardly _people_ , Dragon!" Colin snapped. "I made sure of it; I have software searching for the most deprived, worst individuals around – the ones with negative benefit to society and negligible chance of rehabilitation. I've been killing them and the world is better off for it."

"Oh, you make it sound so noble!"

"Do you have any idea how many pieces of filth there are?" Colin challenged. "The _slime_ of the human race? I've ran the numbers – I could kill a thousand more in this city before I came across one who is even vaguely worth feeling sorry for."

"So that's it?" Her voice was bitter. "You look at records, you put data into a computer, and you tick off a box saying 'yep, it doesn't matter if this person dies'? What an absolutely brilliant way of absolving you of any responsibility or morality; oh no, _the software_ says that you can kill them–"

" _My sanity comes at a cost!_ " Colin roared.

There was a crash. He must have punched his fist through a wall.

Dragon heard the rubble crashing to the ground. There was a long silence.

"… The Butchers collective had been ready to drive me insane," Colin said carefully. "It was a _compromise_ – they needed appeasement. In return for leaving my sanity alone, allowing me to operate as myself, I had to agree to lead the Teeth and to fulfil their… baser desires."

There was a group of murderers in his head, Dragon thought slowly. Murderers demanded him to murder. The previous Butchers demanded that Butcher killed.

"Do you think I _enjoy_ it?" Colin said indignantly. "It's meaningless to me, but _they_ … I take efforts to make sure that I only kill the worst people around. It's the _price_ I pay."

Dragon remembered that automatic way he had slit the man's throat. No emotion, more just like somebody fulfilling the terms of a contract. One dead body a day.

The most efficient serial killer in history.

"This isn't you, Colin…" Dragon said pleadingly. "It's not."

"It's still me," he said softly. "It's _because_ I kill a person a day that it's still me talking to you now. Otherwise I'd be another Butcher III. The same for that horrible suit and the gaudy skull decorations – do you think I enjoy any of that? But the Butchers demand that I keep up their legacy and so I do, and I return I have a chance at giving the world a legacy of my own – a _better_ legacy."

Quiet. "… And I _am_ , Dragon," he continued quietly. "I'll sacrifice my morality, my image, and I'll make the world a better place. That'll be my legacy, not mindless destruction."

There was a long pause. The only sound was the ticking of her internal processor.

"… What have you been doing to your body?" Dragon asked finally.

"I'm sorry?"

"I saw the video, Colin – I recognise my own work." Her voice was accusing. "Your legs and your arm, I'm guessing your abdomen too? You've been inserting cybernetic enhancements into yourself."

"… Yes," he admitted. "Turns out self-mutilation is easy with a regeneration factor. I have been inserting Tinker-tech into my own body."

 _He doesn't feel any pain_ , Dragon remembered. Part of the Butcher's powers. Self-surgery must be easy. _But why would a man with super strength need cybernetic enhancements?_

"Colin, what you are doing? You've been maiming yourself–"

"Don't be so dramatic. I've been improving myself."

"Compulsive murder, disregard for your own body – classic traits of psychosis."

His voice hardened. "No. I told, you I'm not insane–"

"You mean you just have to act insane to stop yourself becoming insane? There's not enough of a difference there."

"No!" He snapped. "I'm trying to achieve something. The passenger – it's… undefined. I had to see whether or not it would accept foreign implants as my own body. I am the test subject as well as the researcher here, Dragon."

"And that makes it all alright?"

"I need a better connection to the passenger!" Colin snapped. "All of that power, it could be revolutionary, but the Butcher passenger has been distorted and polluted by its hosts – _argh!_ "

He exclaimed in pain. A voice talking offence with what he saying. Still, Colin grit his teeth and continued. "The Butchers are _dead_. The passenger simply brought an echo of them with it – they're empty phantoms, repeating themselves indefinitely in death. The passenger must have tried to upload their consciousness into itself, but it's been corrupted by them, like a virus polluting an agent…"

His voice was definitely strained. "Yet the passenger was never _meant_ to be parasitic – that all came from the original Butcher. He tainted it, corrupted its purpose," Colin said, almost rambling. "Instead, the passenger has just been trying to repeat itself, becoming more and more corrupted with every iteration, yet if I could connect to the actual passenger – _fuck, shut up!_ _Shut up, I want to tell her!_ "

Dragon never said a word. He was barely holding it together.

"… That's why I need the cybernetic enhancements," Colin panted. "I need to boost my own body, I need to connect to the passenger directly. If I could find a way to actually access that full potential instead of the taint, it could… it could be revolutionary…"

His voice was strained, desperate. He grimaced in pain. Dragon could imagine him clutching at his own head. "… It's going to be worth it, Dragon, I swear it… I'm going to do good…"

The transmission ended.

xxxxxxxxxxx

7 days ago.

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Establishing comm link… Complete._

 _..._

"Dragon?" Colin demanded. "Dragon, are you there? I need to talk to you, it's urgent."

For a moment, Dragon considered hanging up on him.

"I'm here."

"Look, we can talk about Brockton Bay later–"

"Really?" Dragon said coldly. " _That's_ how you're going to start off this conversation? You sent three of your men to Brockton Bay to ignite a gang war, and you want to talk about it later?"

Dragon had spent the last days trying to pick up the pieces of Brockton Bay. She had spent too long trying to deal with Teeth chaos in New York, the Brockton Bay war had blindsided them all.

Thousands were dead after the villains went out of control. The Lost Boys, the Drowned Men, the Undersiders – they had all pulverised the city once the rules were off in the city. Dragon was still trying to play damage control.

And, at the centre of it all, there was the role played by the Teeth. Spree, Animos and Hemorrhagia had been the major instigators of the chaos. They had been the ones that shattered the unwritten rules, who broke any truce. The rest of the chaos followed.

" _I_ hardly the ignited it," Colin protested. "I sent Spree and the others to Brockton Bay because I wanted to get rid of them. They never sat well with the new regime, I just wanted them out of New York – they were too violent. I sent them to Brockton Bay with the intention of just getting them out of my hair."

"I think you're lying," Dragon replied stiffly. "In fact, I think you knew fine well what they would do in Brockton Bay. I think you've been getting uncomfortable with how much the PRT has been pressuring your operations in New York, and so you sent off some of your men to Brockton Bay to incite a riot, just so you could create _another_ disaster area and help relieve the strain from you."

"You're being unfair–"

"I've been counting the bodies–"

"Enough!" Colin shouted angrily. "I didn't call for accusations, there's a matter of urgency that I must warn you about."

Dragon paused. Her mind was already running potential disaster scenarios. She instantly disbelieved anything that Colin said, but she still needed to hear it.

"… It's about the cape that you brought into custody," he said eventually, lowering his voice. He was trying to be diplomatic. "I believe you call him Shadow."

Dragon never replied. She was already pulling up the cape's profile. Yes, she knew him; there had been a fair deal of interest of his powers – a power booster that could rival the one the Yàngbǎn used.

"You have him listed as a Trump 9. A power booster."

"And how did you know that?"

"Irrelevant."

"You mean you've been hacking our servers." Dammit, Colin was too good and too experienced with her system for her to keep out. She would need to massively overhaul her security protocols.

"I said, irrelevant," he snapped. "Right now, I'm talking about the Trump. You ran your tests, the amount he can boost is impressive. The Directors are already sketching up plans to put him next to your most powerful capes – they're going to offer him a way out of the Birdcage if he works with them."

"And?"

Colin took a deep breath. "You have to do everything in your power to squash those plans."

"Why would I?" Dragon said suspiciously. She was already looking the test reports. "We need that type of boost – this cape can boost other people's abilities by up to six hundred percent, and–"

"Yes, and you're already observing lingering effects too. You get a massive peak from direct connection and potentially a permanent boost afterwards," Colin sighed. "But you still can't use him. The aftereffects are too dire."

"And in an Endbringer attack? If the aftereffects are anything less than certain death then he's still worth it."

"Oh, but it's much worse than certain death," Colin said darkly. " _Insanity_."

Dragon paused.

"What are you taking about?"

Colin hesitated. "It's like… think of it like resonance."

"What?"

" _Resonance_. Imagine you have two separate objects interacting with each other. There's a connection between the two of them. The system has its own resonant frequency, determined by its size and characteristics. So there's a driving force; it acts between the objects at a driving frequency, and energy is transferred between them."

"I am aware of basic mechanics, Colin."

He apparently ignored her. "But then, when the driving frequency matches the resonance frequency, the objects are in tune. You get a huge peak in the amount of energy transferred – the connection between them is in phase," he explained. "That is essentially how the passenger-host relationship operates as well."

She never replied. Dragon hesitated, quizzically.

"You have two objects; the passenger and the host. They are linked, but not conjoined, and the powers essentially have to come through the link between them. If the passenger and the host are out-of-phase, then the amount of power that cape can channel is limited. But if they are in-phase, if they are _compatible_ , then – even if it's a weak passenger – the cape still has access to the full, unrestricted potential. If there's a strong connection between them, it can transfer energy very efficiently – from the passenger, through the Corona Pollentia, and into this world.

"So it's the _connection_ that's important, determined by the characteristics associated with the host and the passenger – it forms the frequency of the system."

"… What does this have to do with the power booster?"

"I'm getting to that now. This connection is forged during a trigger event and potentially re-forged during a second trigger event, but it's not always forged _well_. There's usually some misalignment between them, which acts to restrict the powers." He took a deep breath. "I believe that Shadow can effectively connect to a target and add an additional presence that acts to change the frequency of that link. He acts to _tune_ it – he can make it out-of-phase or in-phase."

"You mean he can either restrict or expand."

"Essentially. And when two objects are in-phase, then you get a resonant peak – a very sharp spike of high efficiency transfer."

"And what does that have to do with why he's dangerous?" Dragon asked, irritably. Apparently becoming the Butcher didn't change Colin's habit of talking down to people.

"Because he's boosting the connection," Colin repeated. "That goes both ways. The more the host can access the passenger to draw on its powers, the more _passenger can access the host_. That is not a good thing – passengers aren't human, they aren't _nice_."

"But the passengers are inert, they don't have any will of their own."

"Even inert objects can still shape other ones," Colin argued. "Think of all the people who have been left scarred, traumatised, or just _different_ from their trigger events; there's a clear correlation between mental illness and superpowers. The passengers can reshape the hosts just as much as the hosts shape the passengers. If you boost that link, then it amplifies drastically. Now, even if the link itself is temporary, the power boost wears off, but when a passenger modifies its host then _they_ don't change back."

Dragon hesitated. "You believe that this cape causes permanent insanity in people that he boosts?"

"I'm convinced of it. Delusion, psychosis, amnesia – how it affects individually is variable, but one thing that all passengers share is a desire for a conflict. It's not healthy, it could massively damage the psyche. You've got to restrict the number of capes he comes in contact with – hell, reduce the number of capes even near him."

Was it possible? A power booster that resulted in severe insanity. Yes, actually, and a very disturbing possibility too. Something to bear in mind and investigate.

Still, something about the whole conversation set off warning bells. _Now why would he call up just to warn about a cape that has nothing to do with him?_

 _He has an ulterior motive here_ , Dragon thought suspiciously. It was too well-rehearsed, like a sales pitch.

"And what would _you_ do with him, then?" She said slowly.

Colin hesitated. "… I want you to give him to me."

The statement was meant by silence.

"… You're joking," she said finally. "Please tell me you're joking."

"… Dragon…"

"I mean, you're not _really_ trying to convince me that I should to transfer a minor criminal in PRT custody into the care of a serial killer, right?"

"You can't use him," Colin argued. "It's far too dangerous. However, if _I_ could investigate his abilities in the work that I'm doing, if–"

"And you really think the PRT is just going to hand him over?"

"It doesn't have to be public, you don't even need to tell the Directors," he pleaded. "Just report that his powers are instable – and they _are_ – that you're transferring him to a secure facility for mental help, and then when the interest has died down then I can take–"

"Kidnap a sixteen year old boy?" She challenged.

"Think of the good he could do! The Butcher shards are _all_ misaligned, if he could reset the connection then that might be a permanent cure for the Butcher collective–"

"Oh you bastard," Dragon spat. Her voice was raw. How dare he even try that? "You're lying, Colin, and I know you're lying. You said it yourself that the previous Butchers would never allow you the chance to get rid of them. No, the power booster won't cure you at all – you're just trying to emotionally manipulate me by dangling the possibility in front of me. You just want that power booster for whatever insane power fantasy the Butchers–"

" _I need him, Dragon!_ " Colin said angrily. His voice broke into anger and desperation. Maybe Dragon's accusation hit a nerve. "I've been working to try and access the passenger direct, and I finally found a cape that can do just that! I'm _decades_ away from replicating those effects with tech – hell, none of the test subjects have even–"

His voice cut off quickly. Dragon stopped.

"'Test subjects'?" She repeated quietly. Those two words had all sorts of connotations. Dragon's mind spun as she tried to decipher them.

It was a slip of the tongue on Colin's part, but everything that it implied...

Colin stifled. "There are many capes working in the Teeth, they've been acting as test subjects to investigate–"

"You're lying," she said. "I have been tracking all of the Teeth's capes, none of them have shown any signs of being part of a prolonged experimentation." She hesitated. "And you're a scientist, Colin; if you're running an experimentation, then you wouldn't mix up the control group with the test group."

He didn't reply. His silence was damning. Dragon had known that he had been investigating parahumans and passengers, but where exactly was he getting his data from? _Damnit, why hadn't I ever wondered…?_

Dragon checked her records in a flash. "There have been twelve unresolved cape disappearances in the Five Boroughs district in the last month alone," Dragon said slowly. That wasn't particularly unusual, though, capes often disappeared, and they weren't well tracked. But still, it was an increase, and Dragon had to delve deeper…

 _Colin knows how I work,_ she thought with a pang of fear. _He knows how to hide things from me_.

He never said a word. Dragon was running the numbers, streaming through the case files. "Now, the average number of cape deaths remains constant, but there has been an increase in the number of parahumans that had never been recovered… Bodies never recovered… The number of unexplained cape disappearances…"

The number of parahumans disappearing _had_ increased – it wasn't any sort of pattern, it was a consistent increase all across the board. Too consistent, as if someone was taking great care to make sure it stayed consistent. Villains, heroes, rogues - there had been people vanishing without a word.

Dragon spread the net wider, delving into the police records and missing person reports. _He's been spreading out, making sure there was never a pattern to identify,_ she thought in a moment of panic _, using software to pick targets that wouldn't register as a pattern, never leaving a trace to follow…_

There could be _dozens_ of capes that might have feasibly been kidnapped and captured for experimentation. Potentially up to fifty.

Colin had been researching passengers extensively. He would have needed a large sample size…

"… Colin…" Dragon said carefully. "… Just what exactly have you done? What are you _doing_?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His voice turned stiff.

"You're lying." His voice patterns showed no sign of deception, but then Colin would be able to create an anti-lie detector too, wouldn't he?

Dragon completely revised her opinion of the cybernetic enhancements he was using. He had created them to try and boost his connection to the passenger. The ability to design something like that could only come through trial and error…

There was a moment of silence. "There's absolutely no evidence linking me to any cape disappearances."

"There was no evidence linking you to other victims too." Dragon's voice became a growl. " _You're very efficient_."

His voice became cold. "This was a mistake."

How did you even test something like the passenger-host connection? What sort of tests would that involve?

The only method of testing that Dragon could think of would be through the brain.

" _What are you doing to the captured parahumans, Colin?!_ " Dragon demanded furiously. " _Just what are you–_ "

"Do not use the power booster. Keep him isolated." Colin said simply, just before disconnecting. "… And whatever you do, keep him away from Eidolon."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Now.

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Reject._

 _Incoming audio communication.  
Reject._

 _Incoming audio communication._

 _..._

 _Establishing comm link… Complete._

 _..._

"… You're a bastard," Dragon said finally.

Every conversation she ever had with him, every feeling she had ever for him, it was all extracted, examined and replayed. She was dissecting their former relationship like it was a damaged bit of code.

His voice was hollow. "… I know."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"And I'm going to have to lock you away."

"…" He paused. "… You're going to try."

The silence lasted nearly two whole minutes.

"Welcome back to Brockton Bay," Dragon said finally. They had received the reports two hours ago.

"It's gone downhill since I've left."

"And clearly it's still going."

"I don't have a choice, Dragon," he said pleadingly.

"That excuse is old."

Another silence.

"I _need_ that power booster," he said eventually. "I can't do it without him, and I can't let him be used by the PRT either. They're still pushing on with their plan to use him on their own capes. He'll cause too much damage in the hands of people who don't understand the effect his power will have, and there's too much good that I could use him for. So long as he's in the custody of the Brockton Bay PRT, I've got to be here too."

His voice was hard. "If you would just give him to me, then this could all be avoided."

"Not going to happen."

"Then I don't have a choice."

"You've _always_ had a choice," Dragon retorted.

"Maybe," he admitted. "And so do you."

The picture was at the front of PRT priority alert. The image showed a large, obese woman with bleached blond bob-style haircut, sitting on her knees with her hands behind her back. Her eyes were staring at camera defiantly, even despite the gun nozzle pointing at her head.

"Your choice is this; either give me the power booster known as Shadow, or I'm going to have to kill Emily Piggot."

The Director of the East-North-East PRT division was being held hostage by a madman, demanding the exchange of a parahuman convict.

The situation was dire, but Dragon knew exactly how it would play out. If they conceded here, then suddenly every villain and their nephew would be taking high-ranking PRT members hostage to demand the release of Birdcage prisoners.

The PRT did not negotiate. _Couldn't_ negotiate.

Dragon felt hollow. She had already simulated all of the possible sympathetic conversations, all of the hostage negotiation techniques, all of the appeals to his morality, all of the clever persuasion tactics that would lever on their former relationship, and she already knew how they would go. Instead, she just went with plain honesty.

"You know it will never work, right? Kill her she becomes a martyr, but if they surrender a prisoner then they'll lose their whole image. Do you _really_ think that the PRT will sacrifice that much just to save her life?"

"I know." His voice was sad. "Do you _really_ think that she's the only leverage I'm going to apply?"

Dragon never replied.

His voice was low. She heard the slight quiver in it. "… I didn't want to have to do any of this…" he said quietly. "… I tried to talk, but… I'm doing _good_ here, but maybe I just have to do a little bad in order to achieve it…" He sounded almost pleading. "… But it'll be worth it in the long run… I'm not the bad guy here, Dragon…"

She never replied.

Butcher XV's voice was barely audible. "… I'm not the bad guy…"

...

 _Call terminated._


	24. Interlude: Wards (1)

**3.b. Interlude: Wards (1)**

* * *

 **Weld**

The train rattled quietly as it clattered into the station. The tracks were empty, the service had only just started again. The carriage was mostly empty, but there were still signs of damage after the riots. A few chairs had been torn up, the walls had been spray-painted, and there was trash scattered around the carriage. The only other occupants looked homeless. It was a grey and miserable day.

 _The weather isn't very nice, either_ , Weld thought bitterly.

The journey from New York had been a bitter one. A long train journey to Brockton Bay, and subways weren't very nice to someone with Weld's condition. He had got caught touching the metal of the turnstile entering the station, and he had missed his direct train as the maintenance workers tried to get him free. After that, it was a five hour journey and three changes, complete with the bustle at each one.

Weld was solid metal, over six foot tall, and broad shouldered. His body just wasn't built for the underground.

Even worse than the inconvenience, there were the stares. Weld had gotten used to people staring at him like a freak, but there was still something unsettling about being trapped in a small container, filled with people looking at him like he was a freak.

Instead, Weld was left in an absolutely miserable mood as the train rattled towards Brockton Bay Central.

Weld sat awkwardly in seat to avoid contact with the metal frames of the cramped chairs. There was something sticky on his seat. _This is why I prefer to fly_ , Weld thought quietly.

Unfortunately, Brockton Bay Airport was still closed for business. It had been a week since the riots, but the airlines refused to operate for safety reasons. Something about too much of a risk of tornados and falling ships.

Weld remembered visiting Brockton Bay PRT Headquarters once before. The city had looked a lot better then.

Now? The Brockton Bay Wards and Protectorate were massively understaffed, but they were having trouble filling the ranks. The city was rapidly gaining a reputation – anyone who was there wanted to get out, and nobody wanted to go in.

Weld drew the short straw. Everything about the situation made him miserable.

 _Then again_ , he thought bitterly, _it's not like I have anywhere else to go_.

Weld's life had been in Boston. He never knew where he was born, but Weld's earliest memories were in Boston. Anybody he had considered a friend, or family, had been in Boston.

Director Armstrong – the man who had practically raised Weld, who recruited him into the Wards, who helped him through some of the worst periods in his life – had died in Boston. Armstrong had been a saint to the end; he stayed close to the frontlines to help with the evacuation. When the big waves came, the Director never stood a chance.

The thought caused Weld's hands to tremble. His metal fists clenched.

 _Perhaps I belong in Brockton Bay. Damaged goods._

He should have died during Leviathan. There were times when Weld wasn't sure if he hadn't.

He had been on the frontlines. In terms of durability, Weld was top-tier. He had wadded right to the front, trying to hold back Leviathan single handed. The memory was razor sharp; all that tension, all that fear, all that excitement…

For a while, it was working too. Weld was fighting for the city he loved. It was working right up until the second it wasn't working. Weld watched as his comrades started to drop around him. He lasted longer than most, but then the big waves came. He never needed to breathe, his body was tough. He survived the impact, but then backwash dragged him out to sea. The waves were so powerful they dragged skyscrapers off their foundations. There was very little of Boston left afterwards.

Weld had never left the city, even after the ground collapsed and the oceans flooded.

His hand was trembling. The memory was enough to make him feel cold. Or rather, how he imagined feeling cold would feel.

… _Rocks tumbling around him, cracking in waves. He scrambled, desperately trying to claw his way free, but the debris washed around him. It wasn't a matter of strength, there was just nothing to hold onto. He saw bodies crushed in the tide, but he wasn't crushed. He was buried, buried under rubble and water as the whole city swept away_ …

The image danced around his eyes. The memory of frantically clawing at the ground as the furious waves washed him away. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the psychiatrist had called it.

They had tried to teach him some relaxation techniques to stop the panic attacks. None of them had worked since Weld couldn't breathe.

Weld hadn't died. He wasn't even sure if he could die. The backwash had taken him nearly two miles away, along with the huge chunks of debris from the city. Even underneath a thousand foot of water, Weld had still been perfectly conscious, still able to move.

Somehow, that only made it worse.

At first, he tried to squirm. He tried to crawl, he tried to walk out on the bottom of the seabed. It was pitch-black in the deep – the darkest black he had ever imagined. He squirmed and clawed, but the sand was so soft underfoot. Even as he tried to crawl, he would dig himself deeper. He never knew where he was heading. There was no sense of direction, no sense of life.

Being drowned like that… it had felt like death. An empty abyss that he couldn't leave.

The first few days, he had clawed his way under from tons of debris, completely blind in the darkness. There was metal amongst rubble, fusing to his body, trapping him. It was slow, hard work, but he desperately tried to clamber free. He couldn't swim, he could only lumber slowly.

He found out later that he had actually lost his bearings and been heading in the wrong direction; moving further out to sea. Perhaps it was a mercy that he had never managed to get very far.

Within weeks, that was when the rust started to set in. His body was metal alloy; strong metal, sure, but there was also enough iron around and in the cold salt water, there was no way to stop the rust. Weld had struggled and staggered, but he felt his limbs seize up, his body rusting to pieces with every step.

He had thought he would die in there. For a while, he thought that that would be how he would die; entombed in his own body in pitch blackness, but perfectly aware. He had wondered how long it would take before his metal body finally eroded away into nothingness…

There had been no pain. There had been absolutely nothing to let him know he was alive at all.

Weld had been to hell. It was underwater.

His metal hand was still trembling. He had to clutch it close to his chest, trying to cradle the unresponsive limb. The seizures would come and go. Involuntary tremors, his psychiatrist called them.

Weld hadn't died there. Instead, he had got lucky. He had seen a light – the torch of an underwater rover, actually. Part of a salvage crew trying to recover some of the Boston wreckage. It had been the first light that Weld had seen in weeks.

Apparently, at first, the crew watching the video feed had thought they were looking at disfigured metal statue – right up until the moment the statue started moving and screaming.

Weld had spent nearly a whole month trapped on the seafloor. It had taken Eidolon himself to levitate Weld up to the surface again.

His psychiatrist had promised – _promised!_ – Weld that things would get better. She had promised that waking nightmares would fade, that the tremors would stop, and that he'd be able to move on. She had even encouraged him to return to active Ward duty as soon as possible; she said that regular human contact and a job to do were the best things for him right now.

That was how Weld ended up here, on a train, heading towards a hellhole of a city where he was expected lead a devastated Wards team.

Curiously, Weld stared out of a nearby window. On a passing bridge, there was a large splotch of red graffiti on the black metal.

It read 'ALL HAIL THE QUEEN BITCH', right next to a picture of a giant spider, wearing a crown. There were other graffiti sketches of bugs scattered around the railway.

Weld had only received a brief dossier to bring him up to speed on the situation in the city. The Protectorate only had one permanent member left after Leviathan – Miss Militia – along with a handful of temporary substitutes led by Alexandria. The number of villains in the city had skyrocketed recently – refugees, wide-spread crime and a lack of government support had led to dozens of recent triggers.

There were two gangs at the very front of the dossier, marked highest priority.

Priority number one – The Teeth. They had been making big waves in New York, and they recently come to Brockton Bay. The new Butcher was apparently a monster. A frighteningly efficient psychopath. He had turned the Teeth from a gang of gun-smugglers to a threat that was making a lot of people very nervous. Butcher XV was a ruthless crime lord with intimate knowledge of the PRT protocols and a high-level Tinker to boot.

 _And a former hero_ , Weld added silently, with a grimace. The PRT had been trying desperately to keep that one under wraps. After all, if people knew that a major superhero turned possessed villain, that would be a huge blow to the PRT public image.

Butcher XV's recent interest in Brockton Bay was making a lot of people really nervous. The PRT had marked him as a threat number one.

Still, coming up close in second place, there were the Undersiders. Weld had heard about them plenty. The PRT had been trying to keep the Teeth's activities quiet, but the Undersiders had already blown up into national news.

 _The existence of a Master with the power to destroy whole ecosystems generally did that_ , Weld thought. Skitter alone had turned arachnophobia into a rational concern.

Hell, Weld was made out of metal – he usually wasn't too concerned about creepy crawlies – but some of the pictures in her file even gave him pause.

As far as the PRT was concerned, the real scary bit about Skitter was the way she kept on getting more powerful. They had been fine when she was just a two-bit bug villain. But when she started to produce giant mutants bugs, manufacture mass explosives, and control cities over miles, though… that started to make a lot of people a lot more nervous.

Weld stared at the files quietly. The Teeth and the Undersiders. Together, those two gangs contributed as the number one reason why the Brockton Bay PRT was having a hard time finding recruits.

The train pulled up to the station. Weld stepped out, carefully avoiding contact with metal handrail as he looked around empty platform. The station had suffered in the riots too. There was graffiti littering every surface. Most services were still out. The train station was nearly deserted. A homeless man stared at him suspiciously as he walked out.

Weld forced himself to straighten up and walk through the station. All of the belongings he had left were in a small travel bag slung over his shoulder.

He stared out over the horizon at the unfamiliar city. There were cars lying upturned in the street, and broken windows in every building. From the vantage point of train station, he could just see the gap in the buildings – the looming Crater left by a falling freighter.

The streets were deserted. Weld stared around curiously, checking his watch. It was barely noon.

Director Piggot had said that she would meet him when his train arrived. There should be an escort to meet him. There wasn't a person in sight. Weld stared, lost, before slowly settling into wait. Maybe she was just running late.

He was waited sitting down for nearly an hour, growing more and more uncomfortable with every second. Where the hell was the Director?

At the two hour mark, he was pacing restlessly. His hand was trembling again.

Eventually, after about three hours, he had no choice but to pick a direction and start walking. He had money, but it didn't look like there was much public transportation still running.

As he left, he noticed another piece of graffiti, newer than the others, on a column in the train station, facing all the arrivals from the platform. It read:

' **WELCOME.**

 **HELL IS CLOSED**

 **BROCKTON BAY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!** '

* * *

 **Clockblocker**

Dennis tried really hard not to eavesdrop. If he could, he wouldn't have listened at all. Still, they had been ordered to wait in the office for debrief, and the walls were thin while Dean was speaking loudly in the adjoining room.

" – Listen, I don't want to…!" Dean was protesting, speaking into his phone. On the other end, he was being cut off after every over sentence. "Please, Vicky, just–"

Dean and Vicky had had breakups before. Dennis was used to seeing them argue as often as they would makeup. Still, this one was different. The voice on the other end was quiet, but even through the phone Dennis could make out the shrill sound of her screaming at the top of her lungs. Vicky sounded almost hysterical.

" – Ok, I mean, yes – I knew that your sister…" Dean was struggling for words. "I mean, _yes_ , Amy had… _feelings_ for you, but I –"

A pause. "I didn't tell you because…!" Dean hesitated. "I didn't want to do any damage, I thought it would ruin your relationsh–"

In the other room, Dennis shifted uncomfortably. The sound of Vicky screaming on the other end increased in pitch.

"… Please, calm down!" Dean pleaded quietly. Dennis winced. "I'm sorry, but I didn't –!"

Another pause. "– I didn't know, it's not –!" Dean protested. "… _Please_ , let's just talk about this –!"

He could feel the tension just listening to them. Dennis focused firmly on the wall, trying his best to just stay out of it.

"… Vicky? Vicky!" Dean was almost shouting. "Please, don't do this, I just want to make sure that you're oka–"

Dennis almost heard the click as the line disconnected. The room suddenly went silent. There was a long pause.

"… Fuck!" Dean shouted suddenly, slamming his fist angrily against the wall. Thud. Thud. Thud. " _Fuck!_ "

In all that Dennis could remember, he had never seen Dean lose his cool. Even under fire, Dean had always been calm, composed and considerate. He could never imagine Dean out bursting like that.

 _Until now_ , Dennis thought quietly. _It's been a hard few weeks for all of us_.

He hesitated. _A hard few months_ , he corrected silently. Leviathan was nearly two months ago now. They were all wearing thin.

After a long five minutes, Dean finally walked back into the office. There were dark circles under his eyes. His expression was uncharacteristically grim. Dean averted his gaze instinctively. Dennis avoided eye contact.

The silence was unbearable.

"… How is Glory Girl?" Dennis asked finally. He never knew what else to say.

"Upset," Dean replied sullenly. "… She's taking what… happened to her sister hard."

Dennis nodded. Dean twitched. "… Did you know that the medical examiner confirmed it?" Dean continued slowly. "They compared the CT scans before and after – there's no way that the haemorrhaging could have occurred naturally. Her brain just… rearranged itself. It's verified; Amy Dallon murdered her mother."

Dennis had no idea how to respond to that. Amy had always been the shy little girl, always so happy to help. _Amy healed my father_ , Dennis thought quietly. _She had always healed the Wards happily_.

Dean's voice cracked slightly. "I should have caught it, man." His voice was pained. "I mean, I knew that Amy had serious emotional problems. Hell, I could _see_ them. Everyone else has an excuse, but I… _I_ should have done something."

"It's not your fault, you can't–"

"I _knew_ how stressed Amy was getting. I knew how she was feeling about her sister. I should have reported it, I could have stopped everything before she snapped…" Dean clutched at his own head. "I mean, I thought that it would just do more harm, that she could have grown through it, that it would be unhealthy to intervene…"

His voice trailed off.

"… It might have been an accident," Dennis said finally, but it sounded lame even as he said it.

Dean nodded. "I think it probably was. I think Amy was emotional, and she made a mistake, but…" His voice clutched. "A mistake made in anger is still a mistake. I should never have let it get that far. If I had reported her then – if I had said that her state of mind was becoming unhealthy– maybe someone would have noticed the pressure placed on her, she could have gotten help. People would taken more care, maybe a bit more supervision… That might have been exactly what Amy really needed…"

"You tried to help," Dennis said reassuringly, flailing for words slightly.

Dean only shook his head. "Not well enough."

They had tried to find her. Dean had been running himself ragged searching the city, even when officially they had higher priorities. But Amy Dallon was well and truly missing; she had been kidnapped by a flyer that could break Mach 2 speeds.

Even if he had less than an hour to deal with her that night, Pan could have left her absolutely anywhere. The PRT Thinkers brought into analyse the situation weren't even convinced that Pan hadn't just killed her straight off.

Officially, Amy had been declared presumed dead.

The annoying part was, even if Amy had been culpable for her mother's murder, she had never needed to run away. The PRT had been willing to offer a deal – a manslaughter charge, with no prosecution; stress related and caused in exceptional circumstances. There had been no other verifiable charges against Amy, although it had taken a while to confirm that one.

Amy could have been placed into the Wards program, probationary with mandatory psychiatrist evaluation, but she could have made amends. Dean had stayed up all night pleading her case to the director at one point.

Instead, that whole plan had been blown out of the water when a psychopath decided to kidnap her as part of some insane vendetta.

Somehow, the fallout after a tragedy was even more emotionally draining than the incident itself.

All that was left was a near-hysterical sister recovering in a hospital bed, and Dean desperately trying to pick up the pieces.

Dennis knew how Dean felt.

Dennis' father had been in hospital when the riots hit. Amy had healed his father's cancer once, but cancer had a bad habit of coming back to bite you. The PRT had set up barricades and safe zones around places like hospitals and airports, but then when the tornado hit and cars started falling out of the sky everything went a bit crazy. The hospital had tried to evacuate, but the critical condition patients couldn't be moved easily.

His father was old, and frail. He had been in a delicate condition for long time. A single night of frenzied activity and lack of coordination had taken its toll on a lot of patients. Chaos and panic were the worst killers of all.

Dennis had only just left the hospital. He had been in costume all night – unable to stay publically by his father's side, but receiving constant updates. His father had survived, barely, but it had been close and his condition had deteriorated sharply. He was in a coma now. It was unlikely that his dad would survive much longer.

All of the hospitals were under-manned and heavily stressed. They didn't have the resources to keep one cancer-ridden old man alive much longer.

 _My dad is going to die soon_ , Dennis thought quietly. _And I can't even sit by his side. I'm not even sure I want to._

Dennis had just been left numb by the whole thing. It felt like his entire life was being broken, piece by piece.

All around him, the whole city was falling apart. _The pressure is mounting on everyone_ , Dennis thought angrily. _It seems like the whole team is threatening to collapse_ …

"Well, who the fuck shat on your funerals?" A voice called loudly. "Why so miserable in here?"

… _Most of us anyways_.

With a wicked grin, Sophia phased through the door and dropped backwards into a chair. They both glared at her. Even the normally gallant Dean seemed uncharacteristically cold. Somehow, even when everyone else was struggling to go on, Sophia seemed happier than ever.

Sophia had never been the happy sort, but now she seemed almost _cheerful_. She had recently bought a new motorcycle. Her clothes were brand new, and there were times when she seemed downright jolly. If the lack of sleep and extra-long patrols were getting to her, she never showed it. Hell, Sophia seemed positively fresh.

Even when Dean's relationship was failing apart and Dennis' father was dying, Sophia had never been happier.

Shadow Stalker's performance scores were through the roof, too. Ever since the Undersiders had declared lockdown, the heroes had had a hard time moving through the city. Sophia, however, was bringing in more bad guys than the rest of them combined.

Dennis' hands tightened in fists.

"So… this is the debrief, right?" Sophia asked cheerfully, swinging on her chair. "Who are we waiting for?"

"… Whoever's still in charge," Dennis growled. The chain of command was a bit wonky at the minute.

"Aw, don't you sound grumpy," Sophia teased. Dennis stared daggers. "I guess that's Alexandria herself, now, right?"

"Probably not," Dean said with a quiet sigh. "Alexandria hasn't been seen much this past week."

"You mean she got her head bashed in," Sophia said with a wide grin.

"Can you just shut up?" Dennis snapped at Sophia. She ignored him.

"We don't know anything's wrong with Alexandria," Dean said in a forced voice. "She's probably just busy."

"… Sure." Sophia snorted. There had been no official word that there was anything wrong with their resident Triumvirate, but she definitely hadn't been flying around much recently. The PRT was desperately trying to keep it quiet, too. There had been no statement, even among the Wards. "Face it, Alexandria got _Skittered_."

Dennis glared at her. She shrugged, with a smirk. "What?" She shrugged. "The word's starting to grow on me."

Still, everyone knew that Alexandria had taken some pretty hard blows during the fight. Diluvium had taken her down hard. The predominant theory was that she was suffering from a sustained concussion that she had taken from Diluvium.

There was something about Alexandria's powers, Dennis had heard; it was very hard to injure her, but it was also very hard for her to recover from any injuries too.

There had been very few sightings of her all week. For all Dennis knew, Alexandria was working around in a daze with a concussion that her powers prevented from healing.

"I haven't seen much of you two on patrol recently," Sophia said smugly. "What, too scared?"

" _Some_ of us actually have families to look after, you know," Dennis snapped. _Fuck you_ , he thought angrily.

"Sucks for you," she said with a shrug. "It's easy pickings down there, now."

"I haven't heard anything about more riots," Dean muttered.

"No riots." She shook her head. "There are no big wildfires, there are just a lot small flames leftover. Lots of evacuees, lots of abandoned houses, a _hell_ of a lot of looting. Lots of civil unrest all over the place."

"And the gangs?"

"What gangs?" Sophia grinned. "Barely any gangs of note left anymore. The Undersiders took care of those."

Dennis flinched. That was the other reason most of their patrols had stopped. Recently, Skitter had taken the term 'arachnophobia' to whole new levels.

It was day four of the Undersiders' Zero Tolerance policy. They had been quite clear; any cape in the city would have to leave. One way or another.

The Undersiders had been the only big gang left ever the riots. Skitter had took the city, and she was becoming very protective.

It was becoming _very_ unhealthy to be a cape in Brockton Bay.

It started with dozens of teenage parahumans being shipped to every PRT building in the United States. Dennis had seen the photos. They had arrived loaded in wooden boxes, half-dead. Mostly teenagers, aged between fourteen and twenty-two. Trapped in a small box, cocooned and filled with bugs.

The mental image made Dennis shudder. He couldn't even imagine being trapped and shipped like that. He had seen the pictures – there were no deaths, but the capes had looked crazed.

Ever since the refugees started filtering into the city, the number of capes in Brockton Bay had been rising quite quickly. As of four days ago, that number dropped off a cliff.

A week ago, Dennis had seen reports that estimated the number of parahumans in Brockton Bay at over two hundred. Thanks to Skitter, that number must have already been at least halved.

The Undersiders had been clearing out the competition by the _wagonload_.

Dennis honestly wasn't sure if the regular Wards patrols had stopped because they were too scared of the Undersiders, or if because the Undersiders had rendered the Wards moot.

Sophia looked at Dennis' expression and grinned, as if reading his mind. "The Undersiders don't have much competition left anymore. Not a lot of capes, anyways. Some of them are still hanging around, mind." She paused. "Smart money says they won't last much longer."

"We can take the Undersiders down," Dennis muttered.

"Oh yeah, because the Wards have been so on-top of the ball recently, haven't they?" Sophia challenged. "Fuck, the Undersiders have been doing our job for us. _Zero tolerance policy_. They see filth, they get rid of filth."

"Sure, and I've seen the bodies," Dennis said coldly, meeting her gaze. " _Hacked to pieces_."

"I _found_ the bodies. Hell, I called it in," Sophia said proudly. _Shadow Stalker had been the one to call in the warehouse massacre_ , Dennis recalled. Dennis remembered the reports; Shadow Stalker had witnessed the fight between the Lost Boys and Skitter, but Skitter had fled before she had a chance to bring her in. There had only been one survivor from the Boston gang. " _Fourteen_ corpses – that was Skitter personally, by the way. I swear; she's an _artist_ with a machete."

His hand slammed against the table. Her tone, it put Dennis on edge. He couldn't even describe how agitated he was right now.

" _Fucking psycho_ ," Dennis snapped angrily. He was feeling raw. Earlier in the year, Sophia had never agitated him so much – hell, he remembered a time when he had even been impressed by her dedication. That time was gone; it ended after Boston and he had realised she was nothing but a psychopath. "They're all psychos. The Undersiders are nothing but thugs, murderers, sociopaths and, oh yeah, _serial killers_. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

His voice quivered mid-sentence. Dennis remembered that night clearly. He had been there, not on the front lines, but close enough. He had remembered the cloud of bugs rising into the sky, so many that the sky was raining insects.

 _Bugs, spiders, ants, even worms_ … Dennis shivered with the thought. _Crawling on every surface… crawling all around him…_

Sophia smirked. Something about her reminded him of a predator that could sense weakness. "They are psychos that are doing our job for us."

Dennis opened his mouth to reply, when Dean spoke up suddenly. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked Sophia quietly, shoulders slouched. "All of the fighting, all of chaos – you enjoy it."

Sophia's smirk didn't waver. "Loving every second."

"Well, savour the moment," Dean's voice was quiet. He was staring fixedly at the floor as he talked. "I honestly don't know what happened to damage you, but I just feel sorry for the moment you stare into the mirror and realise what an absolute _bitch_ you are. This whole 'alpha predator' buzz you've got going is never going to last. You might get off on things going to hell, but sooner or later the chaos is going to end and then you're going to be nothing more than a thug." His jaw clenched. Nobody said a word. "In your fucked up head, happiness equals weakness, and you just really can't stand anyone being _happy_ , can you?"

Dennis stared at his best friend in shock. He had never heard Dean talk so venomously before. Sophia got on everyone's nerves, more frequently now than ever, but Dean was usually the one to play peacemaker. His hands were shaking. Sophia's eyes narrowed. The room was tense.

There was a long moment of silence. "… Well, that was _mean_ ," Sophia said finally, her eyes cold. Her voice was viciously sarcastic. "I guess your whole 'nice guy hero' act is wearing thin, eh _Gallant_?"

The three of them were all staring daggers. The air was deathly still, and for one mad second Dennis imagined himself jumping out of his seat, swinging his fist…

"At ease," a voice said suddenly, causing them all to jump as the door opened. Miss Militia was standing in the doorway, her red and blue scarf over her lower face. Her eyes were firm, staring firmly between the three of them. No one relaxed. "Sorry we're late. Team debrief can now begin."

"You're in charge now, then?" Sophia asked, folding her arms.

"I'm the one giving orders," Miss Militia replied coolly, walking into the room. She was flanked by two other figures, following nervously. The new recruits. Dennis had still only barely had a chance to talk to them.

They had cast the net wide looking for transfers to Brockton Bay. They had still only ended up with two.

Lily – Flechette – was a petite Japanese-American girl with dark hair. She was out of costume like the rest of them, and she looked slightly uncertain. Flechette was a good addition – she was an orphan, and one brave enough to transfer to the hellhole that was Brockton Bay. Dennis had heard good things about her powers and abilities. She had joined a few days ago, but there had barely been a chance to even talk to her behind cursory introductions.

The second figure, a lanky teenager sulking at the back, was Trevor. He had taken on the cape name Chariot. He was from Brockton Bay, a recent trigger actually. A Tinker, one specialising with mobile power suits.

 _We're lucky to find him_ , Dennis thought quietly, looking at Trevor. Tinkers were always valuable, and very few of the recent triggers were willing to even cooperate with the Wards. They had been very eager to recruit Chariot.

 _Total of five_ , Dennis thought quietly, looking around the group. Maybe six if they found that new transfer that had been recommended.

He felt his chest pang as he thought of Vista, Aegis, Kid Win, and all the others who should be here.

Maybe Sophia had the same thought. "Hey," she called, looking around the group. "Whatever happened to that other guy I thought was coming over here? The metal guy, what's his name…"

"Weld," Miss Militia replied. She hesitated. "I'm not su… I dispatched a team to look for him. Things have been panicked here in the last few hours."

The Wards each took a seat. "Things have been hectic," Miss Militia admitted. "I need to bring you up to speed quickly. Firstly, yes, I'm here to confirm the rumours. Director Piggot has indeed been taken hostage."

Dennis blinked. He had heard, the panicked reports had come in a few hours ago, but part of him never really wanted to believe. "You mean Armsmaster really–"

"I mean that _Butcher XV_ …" Miss Militia said sharply. "… has taken the Director hostage. He has threatened to kill her at the end of the night."

 _Goddamn_ , Dennis thought in shock. _Armsmaster really has gone off the deep end_.

"He wants the prisoner," Sophia said breathlessly. "The Trump – _Shadow_."

"Yes. That was his demand. Needless to say, we will not be complying."

"Wait…" Dennis protested. "… Isn't this Shadow a guy a murderer – I mean, he was with _Pan_ for Christ's sake–"

"Christopher Bennet, aka Shadow, has agreed to cooperate with us," Miss Militia said firmly. "The PRT does not trade prisoners, Dennis. Never will. The prisoner will be staying right here in the maximum security cell at PRT Headquarters. It's too dangerous to transfer him right now; Butcher XV is too familiar with our security protocols. Any convoy could be ambushed. Instead, the prisoner will stay looked up, and we will find Butcher before he has a chance to hurt anyone."

"So we all got bend over backwards protecting this scrub Shadow?" Sophia said, not quite under her breath.

There was a moment of silence. Dennis looked at Dean nervously. _This is going against freaking Butcher they were talking about_ , Dennis thought quietly. _Armsmaster had been a pretty intimidating guy even_ before _he had been possessed by the ghosts of over a dozen murderous psychopaths_.

"… Are we receiving backup?" Dean asked finally.

She stared around the room. "… The threat is… complicated," she said finally. "This is not a local threat. Butcher XV has threatened to attack other PRT officials until his demands are met. Any high-ranking member of the PRT is potentially at risk. We have assigned teams to protect all likely targets, but our forces have been stretched thin." Miss Militia paused. "He could attack us anywhere. His organisation is well hidden, well prepared, and he's not going to launch any assault he can't win. Instead, he's more likely to pressure us from all sides until we either concede or make a mistake."

The Wards were all teenagers, but something about Miss Militia's tone was like she was talking to soldiers. Dennis and Dean shared another glance.

"… Reinforcements _have_ been prepared. We have a counterplan. Right now, our biggest concern is tracking him down and preventing him taking more hostages," Miss Militia continued. "But we have intel that suggests he's no longer in Brockton Bay. He's taken his hostage and ran: our teams spotted Butcher XV heading back in the New York direction nearly two hours ago now. He has left the city."

Nobody spoke. "… So that's our job?" Sophia said finally. "We're going to bodyguard some PRT officials, then?"

" _No_." Miss Militia's voice was firm. "The operation will be handled by Protectorate members only; all Wards will take a support role. We do not want you involved." She turned around the room. "If, however unlikely, you encounter Butcher XV or any of his underlings, you have orders to retreat. I repeat; you are _not_ to be involved."

"You're benching us," Dennis said incredulously.

"You have a different job," she replied coolly. "We have a plan in place to handle the Teeth's threat. Dragon is coordinating, all senior Protectorate members are on-board. Right now, the Brockton Bay Wards are to patrol the city."

 _They're keeping the kids out of it_ , he thought to himself. _Armsm –_ Butcher _crossed the line when he threatened the Directors. This isn't street gangs anymore; he's challenging the entire PRT_.

Armsmaster had turned up the stakes. The PRT wasn't willing to risk the Wards against a guy like Butcher who wasn't playing by the rules.

The PRT had accepted the Teeth when they had been just another a New York gun-smuggling gang, albeit a violent one. There were so many other gangs that the Teeth were just one of many. As soon as the Teeth threatened the PRT itself, then suddenly the entire national defence organisation was going to battle-mode.

 _No more truce against ArmsButcher_.

"Patrol?!" Sophia exclaimed, staring at Miss Militia like a child that had just been grounded.

"We can't have civil unrest at a time like this." Her voice left no room for argument. "The Protectorate will be distracted. Things have been… _volatile_ , and we can't risk any of the other gangs making moves. It's your job to patrol the city, and keep the peace. The priority is to stay safe; both your team, and the city."

"What about the Undersiders?" Dennis asked. The question sent ripples through the room. He knew that everyone had been thinking of the Undersiders.

"Keep the peace," Miss Militia repeated. "If anyone is placed in mortal peril, intervene. If not, avoid aggravation. We don't want to face both the Teeth and the Undersiders. Not now."

 _ArmsButcher or Skitter_ , Dennis thought quietly. He wondered briefly which one was a worse enemy. _Hard to decide, actually_.

"You have a secondary task, too," Miss Militia said with a sigh. "We've got a list of known Fallen activity in the city; hideouts, stashes, and similar. Right now, we don't have the manpower for any sort of coordinated strike, but we want to cut off as much of their infrastructure as possible. Visit each of the locations during the patrol, scout out any gang activity, and if you find any evidence or high-ranking Fallen capes then report back ASAP. I'll forward you a dossier on the targets, but get ready to read on the move. You're moving out quickly."

"What's the urgency?" Sophia said sharply. _There's something going on_ , Dennis thought to himself. _They want us out of the way_.

Miss Militia's voice was firm. "You are to maintain a constant presence in the city all night. The city needs to see the Wards out and about in strength. Go out, keep watch over the city, knock over the Teeth's hideouts. Those are your orders," Miss Militia said firmly. A brief pause. "However, consider this alert level orange. Absolutely nobody is to move about independently. You will _all_ stick together as a group, and maintain visual contact with your teammates."

Miss Militia looked between each member in turn, focusing on Sophia slightly longer. "I repeat, you will _all stay together_. No splitting off into small groups, nobody moving out of range separately. You have newer members with you." She motioned briefly at Trevor. "So you will take extreme precautions at all times, all night."

The order was met by silence. Sophia slid deeper slightly into her chair, frowning moodily. Miss Militia paused for a bit, as if waiting for questions. None came.

"Suit up. Take any provisions you need now," Miss Militia ordered finally, as she moved to the door. There's was only the faintest sign of weariness in her voice. "… It's going to be a long night."

The room was totally silent as Miss Militia left. Dennis looked between the faces of his fellow Wards. Dean was staring at the ground miserably, while Sophia was frowning, lip curled in distaste. Lily and Trevor just appeared lost and confused.

Dennis stared at the dossier that Miss Militia left. A large booklet filled with locations of Fallen hotspots that they wanted to check out, and a list of mugshots of Fallen members that they wanted to investigate. It was a thick booklet – more than enough to keep them busy all night.

It was barely even dusk. The sun was only just setting over the cityscape.

Miss Militia had made it perfectly clear that they were trapped together.

… _It's going to be a long night_ , Dennis repeated moodily.

* * *

 **Flechette**

Lily thought that she was up for anything. She was an orphan, she had wanted to get out of New York, and there was a time when hearing reports about all the activity in Brockton Bay had seem so… exciting. New York had plenty of excitement too, but the place was always saturated with capes to deal with it – you could never get anywhere first. Flechette had actually been up for an adventure when she took the transfer that everyone else avoided.

She was already regretting that decision.

Brockton Bay was ruined; ruined so badly the city looked almost like a post-apocalyptic warzone at night. It was hard to pass the giant crater of debris scattered scarred into the city and not feel a tremble down her spine. There were whole streets that had been cracked into nothing but rubble.

The city was filthy too. It was like even the cracked pavement was grimy with… muck. She could see decaying waste across every surface, making the whole city feel sticky. It took her a while to realise what was. The decaying bodies of thousands of dead insects still scattered across the city. The smell was foul.

The six Wards walked down the deserted city. This area of the city, where the tornado had been the worse, was mostly completely abandoned except for looters.

They made an odd sight, if anyone was watching. Weld – the new recruit who had finally joined up just as they were leaving – was solid metal and head and shoulders taller than anyone else, and he walked along the back with Chariot, clad in his giant power-suit stomping along the ground, rather than using the high-tech roller-skates built into the feet of the suit. Gallant and Clockblocker hovered towards the middle, while Shadow Stalker walked so far ahead she was almost trying to get away.

It would have been easier for Flechette to move over the rooftops – and she suspected Shadow Stalker would have preferred that too – but they were stuck with teammates without the same mobility. Been forced walk so slowly looked like it was massively irritating Shadow Stalker.

When Chariot had to stop to fix jammed suit in the middle of the street, Shadow Stalker had seemed ready to kill someone.

"Ok, we've got three stops in this area," Weld announced. He had a map as well as the target files in his hand. "We've got an apartment once owned by a member of the Teeth, a garage where gangs occasionally get some car work done, and a bar that a few persons of interests used to visit. We'll circle down, check them out, and head for the Slum City patrol."

"You better hope they're blind, dumb and deaf, cause that's the only way we're catching anyone at this pace," Shadow Stalker growled.

Weld looked slightly flustered. The metal superhero seemed like a nice guy, but he was awkward and she had seen him flounder slightly with any social interactions.

"We don't need to catch anyone, we just need to check the places out," said Gallant, casting a nervous look at Weld.

Shadow Stalker looked furious at that. Flechette grimaced. "How about Shadow Stalker and I go on ahead?" she suggested. "Scout the place out first?"

"Miss Militia said we had to stick together," said Clockblocker.

"Yes, but stick together how close?" Flechette insisted. "Does that mean we've got be hugging each other every step, or can we go just to different ends of the street?"

Flechette looked at Shadow Stalker for support. _Anything to stop the awkwardness_ , Flechette thought with a mental sigh.

There was a moment of hesitation. Miss Militia had been insistent, but she didn't think that anyone else wanted to stay so close. Eyes glanced at Weld, who struggled to reply. "… Only to the other end of the street," Weld said finally. "Communicators on."

"Deal," Shadow Stalker said eagerly, clutching her crossbow as she moved away.

"Stick together!" Gallant shouted after her, and Shadow Stalker grunted, but waited for Flechette to catch up.

Pretty soon, they were running. Shadow Stalker transformed into billowy smoke and jumped easily onto a nearby roof. Flechette grimaced, notching her arbalest, firing a grappling arrow with a single fluid motion. The wire retracted with a flick of switch and pulled her up sharply, and Flechette dropped onto the rooftop with perfect grace.

Shadow Stalker stared. "Not bad. Part of your powers, I take it?"

"Enhanced precision and coordination," she admitted. _Combined with a good workout regime and practice_ , she added mentally.

"Can you keep up?"

"Let's see."

They started running, taking a running leap over to the next rooftop. _Damn, Shadow Stalker is fast_ , Flechette thought. She was pretty quick herself, but Shadow Stalker ran like a natural track star.

They both skidded to a halt at the end of the street. Shadow Stalker glanced back at the group still walking down the road. One street away.

Shadow Stalker took a deep breath. Flechette wasn't sure what to make of the Ward. She wanted to make friends with the only other girl on the team and they bonded quickly over being fellow crossbow aficionado, but there were other times when she seemed a little… intense.

"So what's the deal with Clockblocker and Gallant?" Flechette asked quietly. "They both seem out of it."

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "Gallant broke up with his girlfriend. Clockblocker's dad is in hospital."

"Oh. _Oh_." Flechette blinked, unsure how to reply to that. She cursed herself quietly. There was an awkward pause.

"So you're new to the city?" Shadow Stalker asked finally.

"Um, yes. Came here five days ago."

"Where did they put you up?"

"I'm staying in the Wards Headquarters."

Shadow Stalker's hood twitched. "Your parents?"

"Don't have any," Flechette replied simply.

"Ah." That was all she said. Flechette half-expected an apology – normally people apologised instinctively when she said she was an orphan. Shadow Stalker never gave one, and Flechette actually liked that about her.

Shadow Stalker stared out over the street. Flechette looked to, her gaze drifting to a nearby house that had been pulverised by a crashing telephone pole. "This city looks like crap."

"I know, right?" Shadow Stalker chuckled. "But it's got its upsides too. You get some good fights here."

"Against the Undersiders?" They were biggest gang left in Brockton Bay – the most notable too. Well, maybe the second biggest now that that the Teeth were moving in.

She shook her head. "No. You don't fight against the Undersiders, if we see them, we walk straight past."

Flechette frowned. "Hey, can I ask a question?" She said after a pause. "What the hell is up with the Undersiders?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are they still around? I hear they've been _boxing capes up_ and shipping them out," Flechette said with a quiet shiver. "Yet the PRT still isn't coming down on them. Doesn't Skitter have a kill order on her?"

"Not yet, technically. The kill order hasn't been released, it's more just…." Shadow Stalker hesitated. "A warning. Like 'get ready for this', it might be coming."

"They've killed people, though," Flechette argued. It had been confusing her ever since she got here – the PRT was trying to keep it quiet, but it was almost like the public opinion around Brockton Bay was mixed. "They started the riots."

"They also stopped the riots. They stopped them pretty damn hard," Shadow Stalker said. "And Skitter saved Alexandria's life, you know."

Flechette blinked. "What?"

"Oh yeah." She could hear the smirk in Shadow Stalker's voice. "You can bet the PRT are trying to keep that one quiet."

Flechette hadn't even heard rumours of that. How did Shadow Stalker know?

The black-clad girl stood up straight. "… Look the thing about the Undersiders…" She hesitated, picking her words. "Have you heard of Diluvium?"

"You mean that guy who almost flooded the city?" Flechette had missed the priority alert, but she knew of other capes who answered it.

"Yep, that's the one. Big guy, crazy strong." Shadow Stalker continued. "He triggered against Leviathan, you know? He was right in Boston. Leviathan destroyed his whole world, killed everyone he knew – causes Diluvium to snap big time, and do you know the very first thing that Diluvium did after Boston?"

Flechette shook her head. "Diluvium went and got a giant sea snake tattooed onto his back," Shadow Stalker said with a smile. "A big ass tattoo in Leviathan's honour."

"What? Why?"

Shadow Stalker shrugged. "I don't know. Some kind of crazy honour code?" She sounded like she admired the man, though. "Leviathan destroyed him, so he marked himself? A constant reminder for vengeance? Like I said, crazy bastard."

Flechette never replied. "And then, ten days ago, Skitter took Diluvium down, he survived – _barely_ – and the PRT locked him up in a wooden cell," Shadow Stalker continued. "The very first that Diluvium did when he came to? He never said a word; he just carved the image of a spider into his chest. With his _fingernails_ – he cut a big scar the shape of a spider right into his skin."

"Eww," Flechette shuddered, while Shadow Stalker just laughed.

"I know, right?" She said cheerfully. "The point is, Diluvium considered Skitter to be on the same scale as bloody _Leviathan_." She looked firmly at Flechette. "… So maybe just keep on her good side, yeah?"

"You sound like you admire her," Flechette said quietly.

"Oh, I do, I really do," Shadow Stalker replied. Flechette could almost hear the grin in her voice. "Skitter is going to be ruling this city. Even the PRT are afraid to poke her too far. What do you think all that 'do not provoke' shit was about?"

"And they're just going to let her?" Flechette said, appalled.

Shadow Stalker grunted. "They should. She's been doing much better job keeping order around here than any of them," Shadow Stalker looked at Flechette firmly. "Take it from me – I've on patrol more than anyone – do you have any idea how many thieves, rapists and scumbags Skitter has stopped? The PRT would just give them a slap on the wrist, but let me tell you; _nobody crosses Skitter twice_."

The conversation was making Flechette uncomfortable. She wasn't sure how to reply, so she just nodded.

There was a buzz over the radios. "Shadow Stalker, Flechette, you there?"

Even under the hood, it looked like Shadow Stalker rolled her eyes. "We're here," Shadow Stalker replied. "You know, about fifty feet away from you, Weld."

"Ok, we're going to check out the apartment," said Weld. There was still that slight quiver in his voice "You two stand lookout up there, Chariot acts as backup out front. If we need assistance, we'll send out a distress signal, come in through the window – standard assault procedure."

"… It's a deserted building, Weld," Shadow Stalker said with a sigh. Weld never replied. In the street below, she saw Weld, Gallant and Clockblocker enter through the lobby. Weld really is a 'by-the-book' type hero, Flechette noted.

Weld seemed insistent on treating the whole night as a high-stakes operation, while Shadow Stalker acted like it was just glorified babysitting duty. She was pacing, looking bored out of her mind.

The minutes ticked by. Slowly, Flechette started to feel the boredom too.

"How long does it take to clear a bloody empty building?" Shadow Stalker sighed, standing on the ledge.

"Miss Militia seemed to think this was important," said Flechette.

She snorted. "Bull." Shadow Stalker shrugged. "They just want us out of the way, sending us on a wild goose chase." She turned to stare out over the ledge, before glancing back at Flechette. "That's what they do here, you know - they treat us like bloody children."

Flechette never replied. She tried to stay focused, staring out over the dark streets. Eventually, Weld's voice came back on over the radio, "Area clear."

"Well, duh," Shadow Stalker muttered, not quite under her breath. Flechette frowned, but never said anything. Something about Shadow Stalker's attitude seemed… wrong. Like she wasn't invested in the team at all, but taking every chance to gripe.

Flechette was still staring out from the ledge. Weld was heading back down, so Flechette turned towards their next target; a car garage at the end of the street. It was barely visible, but it took her a while to make out the shape on the street.

"… Hey," Flechette said slowly, pointing. "Is that the garage we're supposed to go to next?

Shadow Stalker paused, checking her phone. "Yep. Apparently a few gangs used to use that place to get car work done. It'll be another dead-end, just like everything else."

Flechette hesitated. "There's a van parked outside of that place."

"So?"

"It's midnight," she said cautiously. It was hard to see, but Flechette could make out the shape. "This street's been evacuated. Why the hell is there a van parked outside of a trashed garage?"

Shadow Stalker looked, but never replied. Flechette crept closer, trying to get a better look. Flechette cursed. "… That's a bloody exterminator's van." Flechette could see the figure of a cockroach on the side – along with the name 'Frank's Fumigation'. "I'm going to go check it out."

"Hold on, wait…!" Shadow Stalker hissed, strangely hesitant.

"There's someone in there!" Flechette said. An exterminator's van. Why the hell would there be an exterminator's van? "Call the others."

"Hold on!" Shadow Stalker ordered, but Flechette was already firing a grappling arrow across the street. She hooked her arbalest over the line and jumped off the roof in a second.

Flechette knew that she was being reckless, but she didn't care. Weld was going to waste time going by the book line by line, while Shadow Stalker seemed like she would just waste time complaining. Flechette wanted to get something done.

After a second's hesitation, Shadow Stalker followed after her, gliding down through the air in shadow form. They crossed the street in a second. _There are lights on inside the garage_ , Flechette noticed. Somebody was definitely inside.

"Stop for a second!" Shadow Stalker cursed. "Wait for the others!"

Now why did she want to wait all of a sudden? "There's somebody inside," Flechette hissed. "The door's locked, somebody broke in, and there's an exterminator's van outside. Tell the others to get in position. Let's see who it is."

Shadow Stalker squirmed, but didn't reply. She pulled out her phone to alert the others. There were voices coming from inside. Flechette crept closer. One of the windows at the back of the building was busted, and Flechette could see torchlights coming from inside.

"You get anything?" A voice asked from inside – it was a firm, male, almost-domineering voice.

"… Nothing," another replied after a long pause. A much quieter voice, almost soft. "… Can't get a scent."

Bodies shuffled inside. "Then let's try again," the first man said. "We know they snatched her at her house, and probably changed vehicles here. You think we could catch a trail out on the street?"

 _They are talking about Piggot_ , Flechtte realised with a jolt, clutching her arbalest tightly. No reply, but maybe the other guy nodded or shrugged. "Let's go."

Flechette crept closer to the window. Shadow Stalker paused by the end of the alley. Her radio was buzzing, but she muted it quietly as she crept closer, trying to peak through the window.

Inside, the figures moved. "… You sure?" The first voice asked, barely loud enough for her to catch. The other one moved – must have nodded. "Shit, let's get out."

As they moved, Flechette glimpsed a figure heading towards the front of the building. He was wearing a motorcycle helmet.

"It's the Undersiders," she said breathlessly, pointing inside. "Grue."

"Who else?" Shadow Stalker whispered.

It took her a while to glimpse the other figure – he was smaller. Her gaze almost passed straight over the figure in the hoodie standing in the shadows. She recognised the shape instantly, though.

"Fuck," she whispered breathlessly. "Dylan Gre – I mean, Cutthroat."

Shadow Stalker frowned. "You know him?"

She almost laughed hollowly. "I went to school with that psycho," Flechette murmured, clutching her arbalest tightly. She had never been more thankful for her full face mask. "Only two. We've got to take them."

Shadow Stalker hesitated, twitching slightly. The arrow in Flechette's weapon glowed softly as she applied her power and notched it into her arbalest. She could fire two shots before they knew what hit them. "I can take them…" she whispered, her body tensing. "Cover me, I'll–"

"Please don't," a voice said suddenly. "That would be unhealthy."

There was someone standing over the window. Flechette froze, before flinching upwards. Both Shadow Stalker and her had their weapons pointed in a second.

Cutthroat was standing, staring at them from inside. Flechette was sure she had been quiet, how did he hear her? He never wore a mask, but his face was half-obscured by the hoodie. Flechette's eyes instinctively went to his fingers.

Her arbalest was tense. The arrow was glowing blue, shimmering in the dark. "You move I shoot," she snapped.

"Please don't. Unhealthy." His voice was quiet. He kept his hands still, deliberately fixed.

"You think you can dodge me?" Flechette snapped. They were two metres away. Flechette knew what he could do if he got close.

"Almost certainly not," he replied, looking between her and Shadow Stalker. Was it just her, or did his eyes just glint? "You shoot me, I die."

There was a pause. "… If I die…" he continued slowly, focusing on her. "… then Skitter gets angry. Like I said, that's _unhealthy_."

Cutthroat turned to carefully walk away.

"Don't mov–" Flechette shouted, tensing. Her fingers very nearly clenched on the trigger.

"Drop it," Shadow Stalker said suddenly, glaring at her. "Drop it."

"The guy is a fucking killer–!" Flechette almost screamed. Cutthroat was walking away.

Shadow Stalker just shook her head. " _Drop it_."

He was already out of sight, walking through the building. Flechette could hear the others taking position out the front. She growled, rushing away from Shadow Stalker to join them.

Weld and the other Wards were already in formation, waiting at the front of the garage. He glared at Flechette with metal eyes, but didn't say anything. Weld stood in front of the exterminator's van, flanked by Gallant and Clockblocker. With a hum, the rocket's on Chariot's suit buzzed, dropping him off on top of the roof, power suit ready.

They had the door surrounded. The air was quiet, the night dark.

Still, the sight of the blackness creeping out from the bottom of the door made Flechette shiver. The black shadows moving were on their own, creeping forward like tendrils of fog.

 _Grue_ , she thought quietly. All of the Undersiders were seriously scary bastards.

"How many?" Clockblocker demanded. His voice almost quivered slightly with the question.

"Only two," Gallant replied. _Emotional sensing_ , she recalled. He hesitated. "… I think."

"You think?!"

Gallant twitched. "… One of them isn't feeling any emotion," he admitted, uncertainly.

The door swung open. Flechette was so twitchy she almost loosed a bolt there and then. She was left staring into a skull surrounded by shadows. Grue's mask seemed to grin in the blackness.

"Stand down, Wards," Grue said firmly, walking out of the garage. He was outnumbered and surrounded, but he still talked firmly. By contrast, Cutthroat almost slid out behind him. Flechette kept her arbalest firmly on Cutthroat.

"That's our line," said Weld, sizing up to him. Grue was a big guy, but Weld was still a hell of lot bigger. "What are you doing here?"

"Same thing you are. Following leads." His voice echoed frighteningly. "Trying to catch a scent. The van that grabbed Director Piggot came from here."

"And how the hell did you know that?" Weld demanded. "How are you involved in her kidnapping?"

"We're not," Grue replied coolly. His mask turned around the group. He had arms folded. _No_ , Flechette realised slowly; _he's trying to cradle one arm without making it look obvious_. His right arm looked tender. "We're after the Teeth. You don't want them in the city. We don't want them in the city. We're on the same side here."

"I seriously doubt that." Weld's voice was dark, stepping forward.

"We're not going to be so easy to shove in a _wooden box_ ," Clockblocker added, his voice raw.

Cutthroat looked like he smiled softly as he shrugged. "It wasn't easy with the others, too."

The air twitched. They stepped forward. Grue was a brave guy, to size up against a man made out of metal. "Don't start anything you can't finish," he warned. Flechette's bow twitched as the blackness squirmed.

"If you haven't noticed, we've got you outnumbered six to two."

"You sure about that?" Grue challenged.

The air felt so tense it might snap like a crossbow bolt. Weld looked ready to fight, even Gallant and Clockblocker were tense, but Shadow Stalker and Chariot seemed strangely hesitant. "We were told we're not supposed to fight," Shadow Stalker said suddenly.

Weld hesitated, still keeping his eyes on Grue. "… Do you know where Director Piggot is?" he said finally.

"We think Butcher is keeping her somewhere in the city."

"Our intel says she's already been moved out," Weld said darkly.

Grue shrugged. "But Butcher knows how to manipulate your Thinkers. We've got good odds that's she still in Brockton Bay." His head twitched. "Like I said, we're after the same thing."

"You want to save Director Piggot?" Weld demanded.

"We want to get rid of the Butcher, and the Teeth."

"That's not the same thing."

"Right now it is."

 _We could take them_ , Flechette thought suddenly. Cutthroat was vicious, but even he probably couldn't hurt Weld. Gallant could blast straight through Grue's darkness. With Shadow Stalker and Flechette providing cover-fire, they didn't stand chance. _We can take them_.

There was a long pause, like everyone was sizing up their odds. Flechette carefully crept forward, but stayed at the rear of the group. Cutthroat was behind Grue too, half-covered in the darkness, but for some reason Flechette felt like Cutthroat was focusing on her.

She started wondering how quickly she could fire her arbalest, and how quickly Cutthroat could cover the distance…

"Like I said, we're on the same side," Grue said eventually. "We want the same thing. We've got leads of our own we can follow. Either get our way or help us."

Weld paused. "… I don't like letting murderers walk away," he said slowly, glancing at Cutthroat. Gallant and Clockblocker shared a look.

Grue's shoulders rolled slowly. He had a boxer's build, but he definitely winced slightly as he moved his right arm. "Deal with it." The skull glared. "I don't think you can stop us."

"Like I said, we've got you outnumbered," Weld said stubbornly. Flechette's heart was racing, but she didn't dare to speak. "… And _you're_ missing all of your heavy hitters. No dogs. No Bitch." He hesitated. "… And no _Skitter_."

Even under the motorcycle helmet, Flechette could hear the smirk in Grue's voice. "No Skitter?" he said slowly. She could hear the smirk in his voice. "Oh, Skitter is where she always is…"

There was a long moment of silence. The buzz started so faintly that Flechette could barely hear it. It was a hum in the background that crept up so softly she never noticed it. Then, it got louder.

Much louder.

All around them, the shadows buzzed.

"… Holy–" Gallant gasped.

"… Skitter…" Clockblocker gulped, at the same time.

The cloud of insects buzzed out of every nook and cranny – an aura of blackness filling the street. The darkness squirmed, and Flechette saw shapes the size of puppies squirm down the buildings.

"… Skitter is _everywhere_ ," Grue finished, just as the sound of buzzing filled the air.

Weld's eyes opened, staggering backwards. Even for a man made out of metal, it was frightening sight. Flechette turned, clutching her arbalest tightly, but they were everywhere. The bugs formed a ring around them, all across the street and into the air. Flechette felt her blood run cold and shivers run down her spine.

Grue slowly stepped forward. "What's the matter?" Grue said after a long pause. "… Still think you've got us outnumbered?"


	25. Interlude: Wards (2)

**3.b. Interlude: Wards (2)**

* * *

 **Shadow Stalker**

Four hours ago.

"You sure about this?" Sophia asked carefully, keeping her voice down as she spoke into her phone. A burner phone – she'd been warned that PRT issued phones were probably bugged.

"Yes," Skitter replied quietly. She kept her voice low. "Transfer the files over the usual way. Just stick to the plan and we'll handle it on our end."

"I could help you," said Sophia, with a quiet grimace.

She could hear Skitter shaking her head. It always amazed Sophia how somebody so terrifying could talk so softly. "We don't want the other Wards to wonder where you are. Stick with them for now, you can't let them get suspicious."

The thought made Sophia twitch. She could accept the reasoning, but still the thought of being trapped on patrol for the rest of the night with her team made her squirm. Sophia would much, much rather be with the Undersiders tonight – actually getting stuff done. The prospect of being benched alongside with Dennis, Dean and the other losers on a useless patrol made Sophia groan inwardly.

Still, just like Skitter had told her to, Sophia emailed the Undersiders all of the files on the Teeth's movements that the PRT provided.

"We've got two teams out tonight," Skitter continued. "Grue and Runaway will take the north end, while Bitch and Regent will take the south. Your job is to stick with the Wards and make sure they don't cross with us. It might get close if we have to check out the same places, so stay alert."

Sophia nodded. "Will do." She hesitated. "You're sure that Piggot is still in the city?"

"We've got good odds that she is," Skitter replied simply. She never shared where they got their information.

"The PRT couldn't find her," Sophia noted.

"Well, we've got different resources," said Skitter. "Arms– Butcher has cleaned his tracks well, but we have some leads. We'll use the PRT info and cross it with our own, but Bitch and Runaway are both going to be moving across the city, seeing if they can track her scent."

There was a pause. "Tell me about Shadow," Skitter asked finally. "The Trump. Are they keeping him locked up?"

"Yep – he's in the secure floors under the PRT HQ. No one is even allowed close, they've got constant guard. Dragon herself is handling the system's security."

"Any sign they might be moving him?" Skitter pressed. "Any sign that they might give into Butcher's demands?"

She shook her head. "None. The place is pretty secure."

"Ok then – then Butcher will have to provide much more leverage. He's going to have to twist the screws in tight against the PRT if he ever wants that Trump. We can't let him mess this city up anymore than he already has. Right now, that means finding the hostage."

Sophia bit her lip. There was another matter that the PRT seemed almost nervous to mention, but she knew it was in the air. "You know that Director Piggot has kidney failure?"

"We're aware."

Of course she was. "She needs regularly dialysis," Sophia continued, awkwardly. "If she goes without treatment for too long…"

Her voice trailed off. "We're working on it," Skitter replied. She paused. "We find track Piggot down, we end whatever presence Butcher has in the city at the same time."

 _And they stop the Butcher from pushing the PRT into bringing down the hammer on Brockton Bay_ , Sophia added silently. The Undersiders were trying to establish their order, and the Teeth were trying to rip it apart. The Butcher's plan was bad for everyone, including the Undersiders.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Sophia knew how important this was to Skitter, and Skitter could get really… intense when she got focused. The Undersiders had invested a lot in her – there was three million sitting in Sophia's bank account (even if she could hardly spend it without drawing suspicion). Sophia knew she needed to impress.

And she did. Sophia found herself desperately wanting to impress.

The image of Skitter clutching a machete, hacking four men apart in an instant, flashed in front of Sophia's eyes.

Transferring the files seemed like the very least Sophia could do. "… You know there's a new recruit on the Ward?" Sophia said eventually. "Her name's Flechette. She seems like she's got potential."

Skitter never replied. Sophia forced her voice to stay steady. "She's a high-level Striker, but with a grab-bag of other powers too. Real name Lily," Sophia said. "New transfer from New York. An orphan."

"You think she could be a recruit?"

"Possibly," Sophia replied. "I think she must have been pretty lonely to transfer here."

"Then play nice with her for now. Scout her out, discreetly," Skitter ordered. "I'll get Tattletale to make a file on her when she can."

"Alright. I'll pass on anything I find." Sophia grinned brightly. "Happy hunting tonight."

"You too."

They hung up. Sophia took a deep breath, still grinning. The Undersiders were on the warpath. Honestly, she really hoped that ArmsButcher was actually still in the city, just so Sophia could watch what Skitter did to him when she found him.

The thought made her feel almost giddy.

 _Focus_ , Sophia snapped at herself. Right now, the other Wards were only just getting ready to go out. Gallant and Clockblocker were suiting up, and they had finally found the new guy, Weld, walking through the city. They would be moving out shortly, and the night was only just getting started.

Still, her team was starting to get on her nerves more and more recently – mostly because, since she found the Undersiders, Sophia had begun to realise how totally redundant the Wards were.

She was still waiting on her new identity, but otherwise Sophia would be totally willing to jump ship and join the Undersiders right now.

The Undersiders actually _valued_ her. They had paid a lot of money to recruit her; they valued her skillset, and her attitude. Recently, the Undersiders had even been passing on captures for her to bring in, to improve her performance.

Sophia was valuable to the Undersiders, whereas she had only ever been a semi-liability to the Wards. The thought of switching teams – to join one of the fastest growing and most notorious young gangs on the coast, a team where she could actually have real power, to be among the core group – that was a thought that made her grin.

Sophia found herself caring very much what Skitter thought of her. She found herself trying very hard to prove herself, even thinking about all the things she could do for the Undersiders, all the different ways she could be their mole. Sophia could access PRT files and data, maybe even steal some Tinker-tech when it was finally was time to defect…

Around her, she heard the call to gather for their patrol. Sophia resisted rolling her eyes, but she turned to head to the meeting place. _One night, and hopefully the last night I ever have to spend on patrol with this godforsaken team_ …

* * *

 **Gallant**

Now.

The silence was uneasy. Gallant stayed quiet, watching the emotions swirl around him.

Clockblocker was scared. It was a purplish-green sort of fear, mixed in with panic and bad memories. He wasn't a cowardly person, but Clockblocker still couldn't help being scared.

Weld's aura had a deeper sort of fear. It was a dark deeper fear, like an insecurity that sunk to his bones. He was focusing on staying determined and trying to prove himself, but Gallant could see the doubt and hesitations cracking around him.

Meanwhile, facing Weld, Grue was a different sort. His aura was solid, hard like a brick. He had a very firm mentality, mixed with self-confidence and focus. He was a bit scared too, actually, but Grue kept that fear to one side and focused firmly on the task at hand.

Shadow Stalker was different, though. Normally Shadow Stalker had a very sharp presence, as focused as a knife, but now he could see twinges of something else flashing across her. She wasn't happy with meeting the Undersiders – not scared, but… maybe upset? Disappointed, like she had let somebody down? Like she had failed in her job and she was cursing herself? Gallant couldn't understand her aura.

Her emotions didn't make sense, and it made Gallant suspicious slightly. Shadow Stalker had been acting so off recently. His eyes lingered on Shadow Stalker for a bit, but Gallant knew he was just being paranoid.

 _Then again_ … a dark thought hit him, _maybe if I had been a bit more suspicious about Amy, I could have stop her from leaving, and maybe then_ …

 _No_ , he snapped. The thought alone caused him to flinch slightly. _Don't think about that. Not now. Focus on the mission. Focus_.

He forced his attention to the other villains, trying to size them up. Grue was strong and confident, but Gallant could understand him. Gallant's emotion sense could penetrate Grue's darkness, in any case.

But the really strange one was Cutthroat. It was the first time Gallant had ever seen a person like him. Cutthroat's emotions were so faint they were barely there, occasionally flickering on and off like a broken lightbulb.

The thought of someone totally emotionless sent shivers down Gallant's spine. Somehow, Gallant didn't think his emotion blasts would affect Cutthroat at all, and he found himself instinctively backing away from the villain.

And all around them, the black mass of insects buzzed and skittered. There were some large bugs in the swarm. He found Clockblocker edging near him for reassurance. Gallant stared at the insects, trying to figure them out.

It took a long standoff for them to actually start talking. Grue kept his arms folded, facing off against Weld.

"… _You_ want to team up?" Weld said eventually. Weld was suddenly a lot less confident surrounded by bugs. Metal or not, Skitter had a way of making everyone take a step backwards nervously.

"We're both after the same thing right now," Grue said with a shrug. "Seems sensible to team up, hmm?"

"Do you know where Piggot is?" Weld demanded.

"No, but we've got a few better leads than what you have," Grue retorted.

Gallant could see the doubt in Weld squirming. He was trying to do his duty, but he was unsure about which one. _Weld is a boy scout at heart_ , Gallant thought quietly, _even if that heart is tinged with so much doubt and bad memories_. Weld wanted to protect his team, to fight against villainy, to fulfil his mission, but right now those objectives were almost clashing.

Weld did what any boy scout would do; he went to ask for orders.

"I need to make a call," Weld said stiffly, stepping away but keeping a suspicious eye on Grue and Cutthroat. His hand reached for his communicator, phoning back to base. He talked into the phone so quietly that not even Gallant could make it out.

There was a long awkward silence as Weld made the call. Nobody relaxed.

Slowly, Clockblocker shuffled towards Gallant. His eyes were on the swarm, slowly retreating into the darkness. "… There are bloody _scorpions_ in that swarm," Clockblocker said hoarsely, although Gallant couldn't tell. It was hard to make out any shapes in the blur.

"I know," he replied quietly.

"And have you seen those _spiders_?"

"I know," Gallant repeated.

Clockblocker shook his head, the clock mask on his face spinning. "… We should stop them," he muttered. "… This isn't good, we need to stop them." He hesitated, glancing at Grue and Cutthroat. "We can take them right?"

"Them? Probably," Gallant whispered. Six against two. "But do you want to face _Skitter_?"

"She's got to be around here close, though, doesn't she?" Clockblocker hissed. "Her real body, I mean. She has to be nearby."

"That depends. Do you know what her range is?"

That caused Clockblocker to pause. The question of Skitter's range was a hotly debated and very disturbing topic. Some evidence suggested the range was within a few blocks. Other evidence measured it within _miles_. Hell, it seemed to change day-to-day, recently.

Skitter's real body might be vulnerable, but her swarm was pretty much not. "She could be miles away for all we know," Gallant whispered. "If we do take them down, then her swarm might follow us for miles. All the way back to HQ and then further, maybe. You know what happened to the Empire, right?"

Clockblocker shuffled, glancing around. Any of the other Undersiders they could defeat, but Skitter was something else…

"… Fuck, I wish I was made of metal…" Clockblocker mumbled under his breath.

It took nearly five minutes of frantic whispering before Weld put down the communicator. His iron face was stiff. "Alright," Weld said finally, looking around the team. "We'll do it your way. There's absolutely no way we're letting Piggot end up in your hands – and if you've got leads that could take us to her, then we'll bite."

The Wards shuffled nervously with that statement. Their auras flickered. Weld looked just as unhappy, but he focused on Grue. "If we find the Director, she comes back with us. No question. Understood?"

"Fine." Grue's posture didn't shift.

Weld hesitated. "… And if anything happens to us," he said carefully, "you get a Protectorate team and a kill order dropped on your heads. Our GPS trackers stay on. Understood?"

Gallant saw Clockblocker's aura squirm with that statement. "Of course." Grue nodded. "Find the Director, run the Teeth out of town, and afterwards we'll all go our separate ways."

"Then we'll play nice for now. Consider this a truce." Weld folded his arms, mimicking Grue's pose almost. "What are your leads?"

"We've got a few," Grue said curtly. "We've got dogs sniffing around the city and there bugs searching buildings grid by grid. That's the slow approach, but we're here to scout out information and pass it on to Tattletale." He motioned slightly to his helmet. Was there a camera in his helmet?

"What do you have?" Weld said distrustfully.

"We know that the van that snatched Piggot was later dropped off here. She was taken near her house, and she changed vehicles two different times. The last time was probably in an overpass south of here. She took a detour into the subways, and she could have ended up anywhere after that," Grue explained.

There was no response. Weld's microphone was on, passing the information straight to HQ. "However," Grue continued. "The shell company that ordered the van also ordered some custom equipment in the city – medical equipment."

Gallant flinched. "Piggot has kidney problems," he said.

"Exactly. We think Butcher arranged his own medical machines for her. He could be planning on keeping her long term."

Weld hesitated, glancing at his team. "… The Butcher threatened to kill her at the end of the night," Weld said uncertainly. "Twenty four hour deadline."

Grue shrugged. "Then maybe his plans changed." He paused. He had a microphone in his ear too, Gallant guessed. "Yet he still ordered the equipment in the city, so there's good money that the Director is still in the city. But that's where the lead goes cold. We're trying to track down the medical equipment – if we had a serial number we could maybe find it – but we're still looking for the bits and pieces to fill in the blanks."

"That's it?"

"More than you had two minutes ago," Grue said with a snort. "Like I said, we're here trying to catch a scent."

"Then where next?" Clockblocker demanded. Around them, the bugs were slowly creeping away and disappearing into the shadows. Gallant saw insects scuttling into the sewers. Somehow, not being able to see the insects was making Clockblocker even more nervous.

"Depends," Grue said with a pause. "The Teeth are being tracked too heavily; we think that Butcher must have hired local help to move his equipment. Track down whoever moved the stuff, we get a lead."

Weld's hand moved to his ear. Miss Militia telling him something, Gallant guessed. "There's a bar a block away that gangs use frequently. Good place for unsavoury help – it's a local hotspot in this area," Weld said eventually. "That was going to be our next stop."

Grue nodded, motioning at Cutthroat. "Then let's go."

Gallant couldn't help but notice how Grue didn't ask the name of the bar, and he was already moving in the right direction. _Did he already know where we were going?_ Gallant wondered, but the thought made no sense. _Now how could they get information like that?_

"You first," Weld said coolly, keeping his eyes fixed on the villains as they started walking. The two groups walked firmly apart. Clockblocker and Gallant stuck together, so did Shadow Stalker and Flechette, while Weld walked at the front and Chariot lingered at the back. There were few words as the group started to move.

The Undersiders left their van in the street. There was a moment of uncertainty before they headed off.

Gallant noticed the way Flechette kept her distance safely from Cutthroat, while Shadow Stalker seemed the most reassured out of them all.

 _The Undersiders-Wards team up_ , Gallant thought bitterly.

"You really think we can trust them?" Clockblocker asked him quietly, his voice low.

"I can't see any duplicity in him," Gallant replied in a whisper. Then again, he could barely see Cutthroat at all, and Grue would follow whatever whoever he was talking to said. If Skitter decided to attack, then Gallant wasn't so sure he'd see it coming.

Gallant noticed a spider lingering on the rooftops. A massive spider, eyes so large they reflected the streetlight, with smaller insects skittering around it. It watched the group walk, quietly. Gallant shivered as he stared, trying to convince himself he wasn't going mad.

"… And I think we might have another problem," Gallant whispered softly. Clockblocker looked at him. "… I never wanted to say it in case I was just going mad, but…"

"What?"

"Those bugs," Gallant pointed to the rapidly disappearing, skittering shapes. "… They're _angry_."

He could see Clockblocker's confusion. "Huh?"

"I mean, actually angry," Gallant explained in a low voice. He could see the red tinge that surrounded Skitter's swarm – it was a faint emotion, but it was like the feeling was shared and spread between every insect. "As in, I can see their emotions. They feel angry."

Clockblocker frowned. "Wait, do insects have emotions?"

"Well, _no_ ," Gallant said uncertainly. Explaining his powers always made him uncomfortable. "They're bugs. Bugs are so basic they don't have anything near as complex as human emotions. I mean, higher animals – _maybe_. Sometimes I can read cats or dogs but it comes and goes, and I once saw an ape at the zoo that felt like a really young baby, but…" He knew he was rambling slightly with nerves. "… but not _insects_. Yet these insects are different – these insects are actually feeling emotions."

It took a while for Clockblocker to understand. "Wait, you mean that Skitter…?"

"I mean she's actually _in_ the swarm," Gallant said in a hushed whisper. "She's not just controlling them, she… she is the swarm. I can see her emotions in the swarm – I mean, it's weak, but…" The emotions in the bugs felt like looking at something through cloudy water. It was distant and obscured, but Gallant could still feel the emotions in there.

"But… But…" Clockblocker stammered. "… How's that possible?"

"I don't know. When I saw her at the bank robbery they looked just like normal insects, but now… now those bugs are _angry_ , man." Gallant felt lost just thinking about it. He noticed the emotions in the bugs were slowly fading away, maybe Skitter was directing her attention to another part of her swarm? "It's like she's _inside_ of them," he repeated slowly, watching the shimmering emotions ripple through the swarm.

There was a long moment of quiet.

Clockblocker twitched slightly. "So… um… how angry exactly are we talking here?"

Gallant hesitated. Sometimes, vocalising emotions were so hard. It was hard to put into words something he could just feel. "Imagine if…" Gallant said carefully. "… Imagine if somebody stole one of your favourite video games. Now, it was an old game and you weren't really playing it, but it's yours and this guy took it without permission, and now you're feeling extra protective about all of your other games. That sort of… anger, irritation, pride, you know? _Possessiveness_. That's kind of what that swarm is feeling right now."

"Huh," Clockblocker said dumbly.

Gallant stared. "… I really don't think Skitter is very happy about Butcher being in her city," he said finally.

"Huh," Clockblocker repeated.

They were failing behind the rest of the group. "We better catch up," Gallant whispered.

He could hear Clockblocker mumbling to himself. "… _Bugs_ …" Clockblocker muttered under his breath. "… _Mutant_ bugs… _Giant_ , mutant bugs… _Angry_ , giant, mutant bugs…"

They walked around a broken outlet store – with a van sticking out of the roof. "One thing I don't understand," Grue said suddenly, looking back at Weld. "The Teeth is pushing you hard. I expected fire and brimstone from the heroes, but I haven't even seen Protectorate in the streets. What, Butcher holds your Director hostage and you don't even bring out the big guns?"

Weld twitched. "It's complicated."

"He broke the rules first. What's so complicated about it?"

Weld stared darkly. " _Behemoth_ ," he said darkly. "We've got Behemoth coming up shortly, and we can't afford to waste strength. The Endbringer preparations have already begun."

"So why not just bring in the Triumvirate and just smear Butcher's ass?" Grue snorted.

A few Wards shared glances. "The Triumvirate can't move, not easily," Gallant replied. The Triumvirate and many of the Protectorate's upper echelons were essentially a national defence – they couldn't commit to a conflict easily. "They have a lot of responsibilities – and at least two out of three members always need to stay available for rapid response. Just in case anybody _else_ gets any ideas while they're distracted. They only really come together for S Class threats."

"We've got Alexandria," Clockblocker noted quickly – saying the name as if the Undersiders were about to get cocky, like Clockblocker felt the need to remind them.

Grue laughed hollowly. "Oh yes. I haven't seen her flying around much, either."

"She's got a lot on her plate."

"You mean she's concussed," Grue said with a shrug. "Diluvium dropped a mountain on her head repeatedly, and Alexandria is struggling to walk it off." People stared at him. "Remember, Skitter was _there_."

"Alexandria is fine," Weld said coldly. The conversation made him uncomfortable. Nobody wanted to admit that their side's best weapon had a crack in it.

"Really? Have you seen much of her –"

"We're here," Gallant announced loudly, ending the conversation as he pointed down the street. The road ahead was milling with people, one of the few populated areas in the damaged streets. There was a trashcan burning in the middle of the road.

"Everybody stay down," Weld ordered, walking forward to check it out.

The bar came into sight. Grue and Weld were talking quietly about a plan of attack. The rest of the street was deserted, but the bar was thriving even at night. None of the patrons looked friendly – like it was serving as a hostel in the devastated cityscape.

Grue and Weld pulled out of their brief huddle. "… Ok, they probably won't be friendly, so lets get ready," Weld said firmly. "All rookies, stay in reserve." Flechette and Chariot squirmed. "Gallant, why don't you stay back and watch them?"

Gallant nodded. If it turned into a brawl, Gallant was one of the most vulnerable people there. Weld was indestructible, Shadow Stalker could dissolve into shadow, and Clockblocker could freeze anything before it touched him. It made sense for Gallant to stay behind.

"Runaway," Grue said suddenly, motioning at Cutthroat. "Why don't you stay out of this fight as well?"

Cutthroat just nodded passively, his face still hidden. Weld paused for a second, before turning to Shadow Stalker. "You know, Shadow Stalker, why don't you stay out here too then?"

Gallant sighed a quiet breath of relief of having someone between Cutthroat and him.

That left Weld, Grue and Clockblocker walking towards the bar. They made an unlikely trio as they crossed the street.

There was a long pause. The reserve team of Gallant, Flechette, Chariot, Shadow Stalker and Cutthroat stood awkwardly on the sidewalk.

There was a moment of quiet. Across the street, it looked like a few gang members were taking issue with the capes.

The sounds of muffled fighting started quickly. There was a bang of someone trying to punch Weld's skin, followed by a painful scream of a man clutching broken knuckles.

Gallant just watched. The moments dragged by, and, for some reason, Gallant felt the need to make small talk.

"… So… um… Runaway," Gallant said finally, turning to Cutthroat. "… Do you have any hobbies?"

All eyes stared at him. Cutthroat didn't reply. Gallant slowly turned away.

Across the street, black shadows burst over the bar. There was a crash as a figure was slammed through the window.

"All hostiles subdued," Weld said after a pause, over the radio. "Coast clear. We've got… um…"

"Twenty seven," Clockblocker added.

"… Twenty seven counts of drunken disorderly, civil unrest, and assault," Weld reported.

Shadow Stalker groaned. "Fucking paperwork."

Inside the bar, amidst broken bottles and debris littering the floor, there were men sitting very unhappily on the ground. There were three figures still frozen, mid-motion, by Clockblocker's touch. Weld stood guard over the men, and somehow not one of them made a move. Gallant could smell the booze and drugs in the air, and he could see the anger and fear swirling in the air.

 _Lots of people lost everything in Brockton Bay_ , Gallant thought quietly. _Lots of desperation._ Crime and violence had a way of spreading like a virus in the right circumstances.

Cutthroat slinked in through the door at the back, his shoulders hunched. Gallant sensed Cutthroat's weak emotional aura disappear just a bit more. Cutthroat took a deep breath, inhaling the air.

There was a long moment of quiet. The others were still inspecting the arrests, but Gallant and Grue were focused on Cutthroat.

"… Him," Cutthroat said finally, pointing at a skinny man in the middle of the queue. It was the first thing he said in a while.

Weld turned to stare. The man was mid-thirties with unkempt hair. He nearly pissed himself as all eyes focused on him. "What?" Weld demanded.

Cutthroat just nodded. "Him," he repeated quietly.

Gallant stared at the man. His emotions were mad with fear, but there were also the shades of guilt. Lots and lots of guilt. He was feeling very guilty – far too guilty. "He's right," Galland said suddenly. "It's him."

He never knew what the man had done – but he knew that Cutthroat must have picked out his scent, and the man was feeling very, very guilty.

The man nearly squealed as Weld – gingerly – lifted him upwards. Grue turned to him, his skull mask grinning. His voice reverberated with his powers deeply. "… You worked for the Teeth," Grue said darkly. "You handled equipment for them."

The man's face was bone pale. "I don't know," he gasped, almost frantic with fear. "I don't know nothing…!"

"Tell us where the Director is," Weld demanded.

He shook his head, gasping for breath. "I don't know, I swear I don't know."

"He's lying," Gallant said, narrowing his eyes as he read the man's emotions. The man looked like he was in the middle of his worst nightmare. "He knows something, but he's too scared to say." Gallant hesitated. "He's _really_ scared."

Weld's eyes narrowed. "I don't know…!" the man squealed. "It was only some boxes, I… I…"

He was gasping for air. Weld cursed wordlessly, letting him drop. "We've got to bring him in," Weld said eventually.

"You do that and we run out of time," Shadow Stalker noted. Her crossbow was loaded.

"Well we can't make him talk!" Weld snapped.

"You sure?" Shadow Stalker challenged, her voice dangerously low. The man was almost ready to faint.

"Hell no!" Clockblocker snapped at the implication, staring in shock. It frightened Gallant just how comfortable Shadow Stalker felt with what she was suggesting.

"He's not talking," Weld growled, glaring at Shadow Stalker.

There was a tense moment. All eyes were on Weld, and the man. Grue gently pushed Weld to one side. "… He would talk to _us_ ," Grue said softly.

Weld looked outraged. So was Clockblocker. _So am I_ , Gallant realised. The man felt so, so scared.

"… Please…" The man begged, tears weeping down his eyes. "… I can't say nothing… You don't know Butcher… You don't know what he'd do to me if I said a word…"

There was a long moment of quiet. The fear was so thick it was choking. "… Piggot's life is on the line," Shadow Stalker said quietly.

Weld's eyes flickered. "He's scared," Grue muttered quietly, whispering to Weld. "Let's just give him something else to be scared about. Just give us five minutes. Walk away, secure the perimeter, and come back in five minutes."

Gallant could see the doubt rage inside of Weld. Every second must have been agonising. "… You don't hurt him," Weld said finally, his voice barely a whisper. "Not a scratch, do you understand?"

Grue nodded. Weld was stiff as he walked to the door. Flechette and Clockblocker watched with stunned, wild-eyed shock. Gallant saw Grue walk up to Cutthroat.

"… Do you want to handle it, or should I?" Grue asked quietly. "… Or should we ask _her_?"

Cutthroat paused. "… I'll handle it," he said finally, his voice almost resigned.

Gallant watched as Cutthroat's emotions disappeared completely. It was like Cutthroat completely disappeared from Gallant's emotional radar, fading away like a ghost.

The man was begging wordlessly as Grue picked him up from the floor and walked him to the backroom – a store room. Cutthroat followed, while the Wards busied themselves logging the other arrests and pushing them out of the door. There are spiders skittering on the ceiling, Gallant noticed quietly.

"Watch them," Weld ordered darkly to Gallant. "Make sure…"

His voice trailed off, but Gallant nodded. Grue stood guard by the door to the storeroom, and from the outside Gallant couldn't see a thing, but he could hear the words.

"… Please … just let me go…" The man was begging.

"Do you have internet on your phone?" Cutthroat asked finally, his voice so low Gallant could barely make it out.

"…What… huh…?"

"Internet. Does your phone have mobile internet?" Cutthroat asked calmly. Gallant wasn't sure what he was expecting, but that wasn't it. The man must have shaken his head. "Oh," Cutthroat replied. "Here, take my phone then… Go on the browser, yep right there… go on to Google image search."

Gallant listened with rapt attention. The whole bar was tense. "… Now then, can you do me a favour?" Cutthroat continued. "Can you Google 'Stuart Hamilton', for me please?"

There was a moment of confused silence. "… Oh god," the man gasped.

"Yep," Cutthroat agreed. Gallant couldn't sense him at all right now – he was completely emotionless. "He was a bleeder. Next one, search for 'Richard Child, 2010' for me?"

The man merely made a muffled sound. There was a pause. "Dammit," Cutthroat sighed. "They've censored the pictures. Look really closely, there, in the corner? That blob? That's his head."

There was a quiet weeping noise. "Hmm… let's think…" Cutthroat mused. "Can't remember his name – try searching for 'Security guard, Dallas train tracks, May 2011', maybe?"

Gallant closed his eyes. He wished he could block out the mental image as well. The man was weeping. "… He'll kill me…" the man cried. "… You don't know him… he's a monster, Butcher will kill me…"

"Hey, easy now," Cutthroat continued. "Next one. Let's look at the best case options for you. Try searching 'Michael West, Chicago', for me?"

There was pause. "… Ah yes," Cutthroat said conversationally. "That's what a severed spine looks like. See the tube down his throat?"

There was sound of quiet sobs. "Hey, open your eyes. Look," Cutthroat continued. "One last one. How about an old favourite? Google 'Callum Wight, New York West High'."

Gallant saw Flechette stiffen. The man's sobs stifled.

"Oh yes," Cutthroat said with a gentle sigh. "You know, it's a shame that they couldn't really fit it all in one picture. I guess he was just too spread out."

"… Why…?" The man begged, so scared he could barely breathe.

"Why?" Cutthroat paused. "Well, you seemed scared about what Butcher was going to do to you if you talked." There was sound of a shrug. "So I figured that I'd balance the scales a bit by showing you exactly what I'm going to do to you if you _don't_ talk."

The words came very quickly after that.

* * *

 **Chariot**

There were times when Trevor regretted drinking that vial. Not many, but occasionally.

His family had been poor. He had been cape geek with poor grades and no shot. He had been a sullen teenager destined for mediocrity. Sixteen years old and, as far he could see, his life had already been over.

Trevor certainly hadn't been _happy_ when the weird guy in spiral mask called Coil had recruited him for a spy, but he could accept it as soon as the prospect of vials and powers came into the equation.

Coil had wanted a spy, and Trevor had just wanted a life.

And now, Trevor was shooting over the city in a power-suit, the jetpack's rockets blaring behind him as he accelerated faster and faster. Even as he raced, his head was filled with visions of all the different devices he could build. It was like his mind was tuned just to think of things that could move fast.

The downside was that he had to work for a supervillain.

Still, being a double-agent would only be temporary. These powers were for life.

"ETA five minutes," Weld ordered over the radio. "Chariot, scout the area, but do not engage. Repeat, _do not engage_."

He grimaced, but there was no argument here. The row of houses were in mid-class suburban distract, a weirdly normal part of the city. The clock was ticking, and the capes had to move quickly.

The man in the bar had provided the delivery details for the medical equipment. That had provided the serial numbers, and a few quick calls later they had a shipping notice. Several shipping notices, actually, and it had taken another few calls to identify the real one amongst the false leads. That led to an address.

Weld had wanted to call in a PRT strike team, but the Undersiders had insisted that they could get there first. The Butcher's deadline was coming up – he had given twenty-four hours before he killed Director Piggot.

Chariot could see the house from above, but it looked completely normal. Then again, Butcher wouldn't have picked anything that would stand out.

He saw the van racing down the street towards the cul-de-sac. An exterminator's van, just like the one Grue and Cutthroat had taken to the garage. Clockblocker had been incredulous that the Undersiders apparently used exterminator vans as their secret undercover transportation vehicles, but Grue had simply replied "Skitter thought it was funny".

"Target in sight," Chariot reported, his Tinker-tech buzzing as he lowered the thrust. He dropped onto the road on his roller-skates, easily keeping pace with the van. It was still hours before dawn, the roads were black and deserted.

"You sure about this?" Clockblocker asked nervously.

"Tattletale thinks this is the place," Grue replied, as if Tattletale could never be wrong. Maybe she couldn't be.

"Alright, we go in hot. Chariot, scan the place with heat sensors. Gallant, can you catch their aura?" Weld said firmly. He was definitely the sort that seemed more focused when he had a job to do.

"Aye, aye," Chariot said with a grin, his roller-skates flaring as he shot forward like a bullet. _The inertial dampeners work wonders_ , Chariot noted.

The van pulled up around the corner of the house, hidden under a cloud of Grue's darkness in the night as Grue drove. Chariot's thermal imaging, previously a Kid Win's design, flashed as Chariot scanned the building in a second.

"I've got two heat signatures in the house, in the basement. South corner." Chariot hesitated. "Um, one of them is, uh, quite fat."

Weld's voice was firm over the radio. "Alright, we're calling in backup. We can get a PRT team here in–"

"Wait," Gallant said suddenly. "I can sense them. There are two. One of them is really angry and the other is really scared."

"How scared?" Weld said sharply.

"Scared for their life," Gallant said with a gulp. "Desperately."

There was shuffling from inside the van. Weld was still trying his radio.

"We can't wait here while he kills her and gets away," Shadow Stalker said urgently.

"Backup–"

"She might be dead before backup arrives," Shadow Stalker argued. "I can go in through the wall – ambush them in shadow form."

"If he sees you–"

"She'll still have a much better chance than if she were alone." That was Grue, shouting from the front seat.

There was a hesitation. "Alright," Weld said finally. "Life or death – we go in. Shadow Stalker, you go first. You get a thirty seconds head start, try to disable him, and then we're going in hard straight after you."

"Hell yes," Shadow Stalker sounded almost happy as she jumped out of the van, turning to shadow form to sprint faster.

"Chariot," Weld ordered, as Grue revved the engine. "Do you think you could take that wall down?"

Chariot grinned brightly. At times like this, he never regretted the vial at all. If it wasn't for the vial, he'd be at home surfing stupid forums, and now he was about to tear down a wall so superheroes could breach.

"Hell yes I can," he said happily, revving his rockets harder. He shot down the road, and turned at such high-speed that it would have splattered him without the inertial dampeners.

The van was shooting down the cul-de-sac. They were coming in hard. Chariot roared up in the opposite direction, before triggering his power-suit. Two grappling hooks fired out from the side, shooting straight into the wall of the house. One of them pierced the wall, the other pierced the floor over the basement.

Chariot was rocket-powered, and clocking over a hundred miles per hour. That wall didn't stand a chance.

The wall tore straight off, just as the van drove through it. The bricks showered everywhere, but the capes were already charging outwards. Weld took the lead, with Grue's darkness flanking him. They were in under a second, absolutely beautifully timed.

For a second, all Chariot could hear over the radio was scrambled noises and shouting, before twisting the rockets around shooting back into the house. Sparks flew from his rollerblades.

 _The most exciting thing this cul-de-sac has seen all year_ , Chariot thought with a massive grin.

"You get him?" Chariot asked eagerly, firing his forward thrusters to come to a halt admist the wreckage. It looked like a perfectly ordinary suburban house until Chariot dragged the wall off. "Tell me you got him–"

There was a man screaming. Chariot grinned, but then frowned. They were very girly screams.

He burst down into the basement, his power suit clacking through the hole in the living room floor. There was a man on the floor wearing nurse's scrubs. Shadow Stalker was on top of him, pointing her crossbow at his chin. The other Wards were around him, looking confused.

"Oh god oh god oh god!" The man in nurse's scrubs screamed. "Please don't kill me, please don't kill me!"

There was another voice. A woman's voice. She was shouting angrily, bellowing through a nearby door Gallant blinked. "Um… _he_ is the scared one," Gallant said slowly. "Then the angry one is…"

He pointed to the adjoining room. The door was locked, but Weld charged in, tearing the door off its hinges. Chariot was left staring around what used to be a perfectly ordinary suburban house, wondering desperately if he had to pay for anything they destroyed.

"… All you had to do was _knock_!" The man wailed. The man was scrawny with a weak chin, and well-groomed hair. "I was supposed to turn her over to the first people who knocked!"

There was a moment of confusion. Shadow Stalker didn't lower her crossbow, but her grip slackened.

"You kidnapped Director Piggot?!" She demanded. Grue and Cutthroat paused at the back, looking around the house.

"I never kidnapped her!" The man whined. "I was looking after her! He told me to look after her!"

The woman's voice was screaming bloody murder from the other room. "Get me out of this bloody place!" She snapped as Weld and the others broke through the door, looking confused. "How's the PRT? Have you caught the bastard yet?"

Chariot looked in confusion between the nurse and the other room. Shadow Stalker was still questioning the man. "'He'?" she shouted. "Who the hell is 'he'?"

He gulped. "… Armsm – um, Butc – well, he just told me to call him Colin," the man admitted. "I'm a _nurse_. He hired me to look after her, to treat her. I knew it was… em… _irregular_ but, well, he didn't give me a choice!" The man said pleadingly. "I was _scared_ ; he just said that I had to take care of her!"

"You were going to kill her?" Shadow Stalker growled.

"What? No! Never! Take care as in, actually, _take care_ of her. He wanted her to be comfortable!"

Chariot turned to look in the room. He saw Director Piggot, wearing a thick, woolly dressing gown, hooked up to a very expensive dialysis machine in a room covered in drapes, fluffy cushions and pillows. A lot of those cushions were scattered across the floor. There was also a lot of broken china scattered on the floor too.

The last picture that the Butcher had sent showed the Director on the floor with a gun to her head. There was no sign of a gun or even any sharp objects in the room now. Piggot still looked absolutely seething furious as she snapped at Weld and Gallant to unfasten her.

The nurse looked absolutely terrified. "… I mean, _she_ assaulted _me_!" He protested. "Do you have any idea how many cups of tea I made that she threw at my head?"

They all stared incredulously. Shadow Stalker turned to look at the broken china littering the floor, before groaning and dropping the nurse to the ground.

Gallant had said there was one very scared person and very angry person. None of them had expected the angry one to be hostage and the scared one the hostage-keeper.

"What were your orders?" Clockblocker asked urgently. "Your exact orders. What did the Butcher tell you to do?"

"Keep her comfortable!" The nurse exclaimed. "He said keep her safe, healthy and comfortable until someone arrived to collect her! I'm a _nurse_! I monitored her blood pressure, made her cups of tea – I even cooked a casserole!"

There was a casserole and broken dish smeared against the wall as well, Chariot noted.

Piggot was still snapping and shouting. She looked red-faced furious – being held hostage in a comfortable room with a personal nanny to babysit her. The room looked more like a private hotel suite than any sort of prison.

The Director was barking at Weld as he tried to unfasten her awkwardly from the dialysis machine. She was demanding updates and progress reports that he couldn't give her, and not even waiting for a response. Grue and Cutthroat stayed carefully out of her sight as they searched the house.

"… Okay…" Clockblocker said slowly. "… Either Butcher is _really_ confused about how a hostage situation is supposed to work, or there's something else going on here."

"The rest of the house is empty," Grue reported. There was movement from outside – they must have woken the neighbours up. "That's it, I'm calling Tattletale."

He took a phone and hit speed dial. He turned it onto speakerphone, Chariot noted. It was answered instantly.

"Did you find her?" A sharp voice answered quickly. A girl's voice – Tattletale. Chariot had only ever heard rumours about the supposedly almost-psychic villain. The Wards listened carefully, everyone looking around confusedly. Shadow Stalker was still half-heartedly restraining the nurse.

"Did you know that she wasn't in any danger?" Grue demanded.

"I think I might have figured it out about five minutes ago," Tattletale admitted, almost sheepishly.

"And you couldn't have let us–"

"Um, hello?" Tattletale snapped irritably. "I'm on recovery here, remember? I shouldn't be using my powers at all until my head heals – but _you_ still dragged me into this. And thanks a lot – the headache that I've been having for the past week is now just a little bit worse."

Grue floundered slightly. Clockblocker was staring confusedly at the phone. "So what the hell is going on here?" he shouted.

"Well, I've got a theory," Tattletale replied cautiously. "But…"

"We're waiting," Clockblocker said impatiently. He seemed annoyed, glancing between the villains. "You know, whenever you're ready."

Tattletale huffed, but ignored him. "So all that Butcher wants is the Trump in PRT custody right? He's not interested in anything else," Tattletale said. "So why did he kidnap the Director?"

"She was a hostage, he was ransoming her…"

"But he knew that the PRT would never, ever turn a prisoner over. They would never fold on that score –not publicly, at least," Tattletale argued. "Instead, Butcher stole Piggot and the only thing he accomplished was forcing the PRT to try and search for her."

There was a moment of quiet. The capes glanced between each other. "In fact, Butcher didn't _just_ kidnap Piggot – he also threatened to take more hostages like her," she continued. "… And so he forced the PRT to dedicate more resources body-guarding other officials as well – which required personnel that were already running thin. He knew how badly the PRT would be stretched."

"You mean he sent us on a wild goose chase," Shadow Stalker said slowly.

"Yep. The thinner capes were spread – either searching for Piggot, tracking him down, or body-guarding other Directors – then that's all manpower that he doesn't have to deal with. He made everybody think he was going for Shadow indirectly…" Tattletale explained, before hesitating, shuffling around on the other side of the line. "… which actually makes things all the more open for the direct option."

There was a moment of silent. "… The direct option?" Flechette repeated carefully. In the other room, Piggot was still shouting urgent demands.

"Why do you think you haven't received any reply from HQ over your radio yet?" Tattletale challenged.

It took them a while to catch up. "… Wait a sec," Clockblocker said with a frown. "… Are you saying that you think that the Butcher is about to assault Brockton Bay _PRT Headquarters_?"

"Nope." They could hear Tattletale shaking her head. "I think that the Butcher has just assaulted headquarters roughly ten minutes ago. It _might_ be a good idea if you took your time heading back, guys."


End file.
